


Evangeline

by SympathyForTheBlinderDevil



Category: Peaky Blinders (TV)
Genre: Drama & Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, Mystery, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Suspense
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-08
Updated: 2018-10-24
Packaged: 2019-05-19 19:21:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 38,566
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14879699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SympathyForTheBlinderDevil/pseuds/SympathyForTheBlinderDevil
Summary: Tommy is intrigued by a new maid in his house. Evangeline is a beautiful and intelligent enigma, and she's a long way from home. As she and Tommy fall for each other, we find out that people aren't always who they appear to be.





	1. Catch me

Thomas Shelby woke up with the same feeling as every other human being on Earth did. He needed to piss. He swung his legs around to the side of the bed and winced when his bare feet hit the cold hardwood. He felt around until his toes hit his lambskin slippers, and slid them onto his feet, while squinting in the harsh morning light and rubbing his aching head. The clock on his bedside table told him that he had slept well past his usual time, but he had expected to have a lie in after being out so late last night, after all, hangovers weren’t exactly water off a ducks back anymore. He perfunctorily drained the half-drunk glass of whiskey on his nightstand, “hair of the dog, eh?” Tommy hated to leave the warm comfort of his bed but could put off the inevitable no longer. Squinting and raw headed, he shuffled to the bathroom to relieve himself.

Evangeline was on her knees scrubbing the grout that lined the tile surround of the biggest bathtub she’d ever seen in her life. The whole bathroom was grand; the tub was in a separate alcove from the toilet and the sink, and put together the bathroom was bigger than the little shack that she’d grown up in. The starched uniform she had put on this morning did not leave very much room for reaching and stretching, but she was doing her best. Jobs were scarce, and she was determined to keep this one no matter what. The work was hard, but she was raised to work hard, and at Arrow House she had steady meals and a warm bed. Frances had told her to steer clear of Mr. Shelby. “He is a good man, really, but moody. He pays well, but expects privacy and loyalty. Privacy. That’s top on his list, Evie,” Frances had warned.  
As she scrubbed, the caustic fumes from the tile cleaner were making her lightheaded, so she straightened and walked to the window to get some air. As Evangeline raised the window, she thought she heard running water. She cocked her head to listen more closely and realized to her mortification that it was not running water; someone was most definitely taking a piss. Being that she was cleaning the en suite bathroom of the man of the house, she had to guess that the urine in question was indeed coming from Mr. Thomas Shelby OBE. Evangeline rolled her eyes and held her breath, “Just my damn luck!” she thought. “Maybe if I’m quiet and still he won’t notice that I’m in here…”

“Oi, who’s there?” a gruff voice with a thick Brummie accent called out. 

Evangeline’s mind raced 90 to nothing. Frances told her that Mr. Shelby was up and out of the house by 9:00 each morning, so she thought that she was clear to clean the upstairs bathrooms. “Now I’ve done it!” she thought to herself, but she had no choice but to answer.

“I’m sorry Mr. Shelby. I didn’t know that you were still about, and I came up to clean the tub. I’ll be more careful in the future.” She silently prayed that he would accept her explanation and leave.

“I know you’re cleaning,” he said as he came into the alcove where Evangeline stood, “I can smell the cleaner.”

His figure blocked the doorway, and although she felt very small and very claustrophobic she stood up straight and made herself look him in the eye. Tommy had only just rolled out of bed for a slash, and hadn’t bothered to put on a pajama top or pajama pants for that matter. This left Evangeline standing face to face with her new employer, who was currently wearing slippers and boxer shorts.

“I asked who’s there.” Tommy’s expression was inscrutable, but he didn’t seem mad, just a little impatient.

“Evangeline Cole. It’s my first day, Sir,” she answered as confidently as she knew how. She silently prayed that her eyes would not wander away from Mr. Shelby’s face to look at the rest of his body. A prayer that fell on deaf ears as she stole an involuntary glance. “Oh, my stars, he has tattoos and scars and his biceps are like melons,” the voice inside of her head screamed.

“Mmmm. Are you new to England?”

“Yes, sir. I am from America. Tennessee to be exact.” Evie held her head high and heard her mama’s voice in her head, “Chin up, tits out, Evie. You’re just as good as anyone else.”

“You are certainly a long way from home.” Tommy looked her up and down for a moment, then turned to walk away. Over his shoulder he called, “If you’ll excuse me, I need to get dressed.”

Evangeline breathed a deep sigh of relief, gathered her things, and left the room. She felt pretty certain that her job was safe since Mr. Shelby did not seem to be bothered by her presence. In fact, he didn’t seem like the type to be bothered by anything, and Evie swore she could hear a smile in his voice as he walked away. As she descended the staircase, surrounded by oil paintings, rich hardwoods, and sumptuous carpets she thought to herself, “He’s certainly right. I’m a long way from home.” 

***

There was water, at least an inch deep, on the formerly pristine tile of Tommy Shelby’s massive bathroom. Evangeline, barefooted and sweaty, was soaking up the water with a mop and wringing it into the drain. Silently cursing the mess, she leaned the mop against the sink and with her hands on her hips she arched her back into a catlike stretch.

“Bloody ‘ell,” a voice behind her boomed, “Did a fookin’ pipe burst?”

Evie spun around too quickly, momentarily forgetting that she was barefooted on slick tile. The room spun in slow motion as she realized “I am going to bust my ass in front of my boss….” But as she slipped, a rock hard arm caught her under the armpit and another grabbed her around her waist. Her feet slid out from under her, and she found that her whole body was pressed against that of Mr. Shelby. Her face was an inch from his, and his piercing blue eyes bored into her own. She gasped as she realized that she was close enough to taste the whiskey on his breath. Her arms were pinned in between their bodies and her palms rested on his firm chest.

Tommy had instinctively grabbed her, but now that she was close enough for him to see the flecks of gold in her deep brown eyes he was glad that he had done it. Her body was soft and her curves fit his angles like pieces of a puzzle. Beneath his studied look of cool a fire was beginning to burn. He held her there, flush against him for a moment then gently sat her down. He took a deep breath to blow the thought of how good she felt from his mind.

“I…I’m…thank you Mr. Shelby.” Evie needed to pull it together fast. “Stop stammering like a schoolgirl,” she thought.

She smoothed her skirt and looked back up into Tommy’s sky blue eyes. Encouraged by the slightly amused look on his face, she couldn’t help but smile and let out a small giggle of embarrassment.

“Well, Evangeline, what on earth happened in here?” Tommy said as he pulled a cigarette from a silver case.

Evie cleared her throat and straightened her face before answering, “Charlie and Karl were playin’ submarines in the bathtub. Apparently, there was a falling out over who got to play the Royal Navy and who had to be the Germans.”

“I see.” Tommy lazily swept a glance over the ruined state of the room, then back to her. “Did they call a truce?” Tommy teased.

“I can’t say as I know. Frances ran them up out of here before she called for me,” Evie replied.

She noticed that Mr. Shelby was still smiling, well, he was as close as he ever got to smiling. Tommy was picturing an exasperated Frances chasing two laughing, naked boys down the hall of his stately manor. He took a deep drag from his cigarette and slowly exhaled, while Evie stood, rooted to the watery floor.

“Tell me something, Evangeline.”

The sound of him saying her name made her flush, and she hoped he hadn’t noticed. He had.

“How on earth did you get from the hills of Tennessee to Arrow House, eh?” Tommy’s eyes never left her as he spoke. He was intrigued by her, and he saw no reason to hide his interest. After all, he was Tommy Shelby, and he was accustomed to doing exactly what he wanted, without regard to what was proper or accepted by society. Besides, he could tell by her easy way of speaking and the way she conducted herself, that there was more to her than an average housemaid. She was respectful and deferential, but she also spoke to him as if they were on equal footing.

“I came here to study, Mr. Shelby.”

Tommy liked the way his name sounded in her mouth.

“But you aren’t studying now. You are working as my housemaid.”

As Tommy spoke he could see a shift in her expression from one of mild amusement to one of sadness. The bittersweet sadness of a bootlegger’s daughter who tried to get above her raising. She tried to keep up a front, but Tommy noticed the shift.

“That is true,” she said, holding his gaze. “As I am sure you know, even our best plans don’t always come to fruition.”

Tommy stared at her for longer than was comfortable, then kindly said, “That is true.”

Tommy let his eyes travel down her body to her bare feet. Her toenails were painted deep red, quite a luxury for a housemaid. He felt as if he were seeing something he was not meant to see, an intimate part of her life being revealed to him. He wondered where her stockings were. He wanted to press her further about what had happened to bring her to his home, but he decided not to. Not yet, anyway.

She wiggled her toes in the water and reached for the mop. “I had better get this mess mopped up before it seeps through to the first floor ceiling.”

“Right, I’ll leave you to it.” He nodded to Evangeline and the corners of his mouth raised ever so slightly as he left the room. He decided that he would go find Charlie and Karl and have them go help Evangeline clean up the mess they had made.

As Evie mopped up the water on Mr. Shelby’s floor, she sighed and thought that falling wouldn’t be so bad if he would be there to catch her.


	2. The offer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We learn a bit more about Evangeline and her feelings for Tommy. Tommy makes her an offer that she can't refuse.

Evie lay in her single bed in the servants’ quarters dreaming of home. Home was a two room shack in the hills. Home was a straw tick mattress dragged out on the porch to escape the heat of the house in the summertime. Home was listening to her daddy softly whistling as he walked down the moonlit hollow to check on a still. Home was stretching out in the breeze as the crickets and frogs sang her to sleep. She went back home in her dreams, where she could smell the night air in the shadow of the Appalachian Mountains, and she always woke up feeling a little homesick and a little sad. 

Evie’s life before she came to England seemed a world away. Her family worked a small farm, all that was left of a land grant given to her great grandfather for military service. A bit of it had been sold off by each generation who tried to eke out a living growing tobacco and corn in soil too rocky to plow. Evie’s hands were calloused before her eighth birthday, but she was “book-smart” so her parents allowed her go to school. Her capacity for learning both amazed and worried them, especially her mama. Her mother was firmly grounded in the realities of what life most likely held for Evie: early marriage, a new baby every other year, and never ending work. She used to tell Evie, “From break of day ‘till settin’ of the sun, a woman’s work is never done.” Evie’s parents wanted her to have a chance at a better life, but people from the hills would see her as a traitor. Tradition, loyalty, and family meant everything in a world that would never see past her accent and never let her live down her family name. The outside world was not kind to people like Evie, and an education would only serve to make her different from those around her, leaving her unfit for either world. This was a lesson that she would learn the hard way.

She woke with a start as her alarm clock jangled, and she sighed as the shape of the mountains and hollows faded from her sight. She was used to getting up before daybreak, but she couldn’t say that she liked it. “Wouldn’t it be wonderful to lie in bed until the sun topped the trees?” she mumbled into her pillow. Since that was not to be, she washed, quickly dressed, and swiped on a bit of lipstick before she started her work. Frances didn’t like for the housemaids to wear lipstick, but it was Evie’s armor; it reminded her of who she was and helped her to stand a bit taller. She wore a uniform and performed her duties without complaint, but she would keep her lipstick. 

 

The first beams of morning were creeping into Tommy’s study. He had already shaved and dressed, and was in the process of smoking the first cigarette of the day. His study was a shambles. The books, most of which came with the place, were unorganized. On the rare occasion that he wanted to find a particular title, he found himself utterly lost. His files were in a similar state. Spending time with Charles, American business, and the Gin business had him spread a little thin, and his usual meticulous attention to detail had slipped. He walked over to the window and surveyed the front lawn and its pleasing uniformity; its every blade of grass was trimmed to the same exact height. He needed to reestablish the same kind of order in the room where he spent most of his time.

In the past he would have had Lizzie set things to rights, but she was busy with Shelby Company Limited and her new boyfriend. The thought occurred to him that he could have the new maid work on it. She seemed to have a good head on her shoulders, and besides, Tommy wouldn’t mind spending some time with her. He heard Frances coming down the hall, and he turned from the window to call for her.

“Yes, Mr. Shelby,” she answered.  
“Frances, how exactly did Miss Cole come to be under my employ?”  
“Mr. Gray asked that we find a place for her, sir.”

Tommy crossed over to the banquette, poured himself a glass of whiskey, and considered her reply. “I don’t recall that being mentioned to me.”  
“I haven’t mentioned it, sir. It seemed usual, and so I didn’t think to bring it up. He said that Mr. Capone is acquainted with her sister. When Miss Cole’s plans for University fell through, Mr. Capone wanted to make sure that she was taken care of.”  
“Plans for University?” He remembered the look in Evie’s eyes when she said that she had come to England to study.  
“Oh, yes, Mr. Shelby. She moved to England with plans to attend Victoria University. She worked for a professor there.”  
“What happened?”  
“She didn’t say.”

Tommy looked at the indecipherable mess all around him for a moment, digesting all that Frances had told him.  
“If that’s all, Mr. Shelby, I need to get Charlie ready for school.”  
“Of course, Frances, thank you. After breakfast this morning, send Miss Cole in. I need a word with her.”  
Frances answered in the affirmative and rushed to get Charles ready for school.

 

In about an hour, her morning chores were finished. Evie had just settled down for toast and tea when Frances hurried past with Charlie.   
“I need you to go clear the breakfast dishes,” Frances ordered, and then with a gentle warning in her tone she added, “Mr. Shelby wants to talk to you today, so be ready when he calls for you.” 

Anticipation bit at her stomach as she wondered what line of questioning Mr. Shelby would try today. Evie thought of the scene that waited for her in the dining room. There would be Charlie’s little eggcup and plate, clean as a whistle, and Mr. Shelby’s uneaten toast, beans, eggs, and bangers. She wondered how a man who seemed to live on cigarettes and whiskey could look so good, and she felt heat rise to her cheeks as she remembered how he looked in only his drawers. She lingered over the memory of her first meeting with Mr. Shelby more than she cared to admit. As she rounded the corner into the dining room she paused and her cheeks got even redder, for Mr. Shelby was still sitting at the table reading his morning paper.

“Good morning, Mr. Shelby,” she greeted him, meeting his eyes over the newsprint. “I’ll come back later.”  
“Come on in, don’t mind me.” He looked up from his paper and turned his steady gaze on Evie as she began clearing the dishes.  
He looked at her as if he could read her mind, which made her a bit uneasy since she had been thinking about his physical attributes, and Tommy noticed this as he looked her over. She was quite beautiful. Her glossy black hair was swept back, but a few stray tendrils escaped their pins as she worked. Her figure was curvaceous, even in the plain black shift she wore as a uniform. He was quite disarmed by her nervousness, and so he had a soft look in his eyes as he talked to her.  
“Evangeline, are you alright?” he said, a bit teasingly.  
“I am doing well, Sir.”  
“Please, sit down.” Tommy gestured to the chair nearest to him.  
“Yes, sir.”

Evangeline reluctantly sat. It was highly irregular for a servant to sit down in the presence of the family, much less to sit at the table together like old friends. She let her eyes wander to the plates in front of Tommy, and noticed that his entire breakfast remained untouched, as predicted, while her own grew cold in the kitchen. He folded his paper and laid it aside, giving Evangeline his undivided attention.

Tommy studied her face for a moment, then asked, “How would you like to work for me on a special project?”

Evie’s posture stiffened a bit, and she thought, “Here it comes. I’ll be expected to service the Lord of the manor.” She was undeniably attracted to Tommy; she had a crush on him, but she was not a whore. Her heart broke at the thought of Tommy wanting to use her in that way. She had been burned before by an employer who thought that a pay packet bought certain privileges, and she thought that Mr. Shelby was different.

Tommy continued, “It’s my study. The whole thing is fucked. I need a filing system. And the books, there’s no rhyme or reason to the way that they are arranged. Wall to wall books and I can’t find a bloody thing. Frances told me that you were studying to go to University, and that one of your reference letters was from a professor. It seems like the task would come naturally to you.”   
Evie was taken aback by his offer, and relieved that she had misjudged him. She visibly relaxed and answered, “Oh, I think I could do that for you. I would need to make arrangements with Frances to make sure that my other duties would be covered.”  
“It’s all been taken care of,” Tommy said with a wave of his hand. 

Evie’s heart melted as he spoke. She could continue to worship him from a safe distance, and she could get to know him better as she worked in his study.  
“You must have been confident in my answer to have already made arrangements.” Evie chanced a smile.  
Her smile warmed him, and he returned her expression as he replied, “A smart girl like you? I’ve seen the way you look at my library while you are dusting. It seemed a fair bet.”  
He was drawn to her, and it seemed to be more than just physical attraction too; he felt at ease in her presence. She was like a breath of fresh air with her easy smile and her southern drawl, but he wanted to find out more about her past. It seemed entirely odd for a girl to go from academia to working as a housemaid. Judging from the way she tensed up when he asked her to sit, he had an idea about what might have happened to her to crush her dreams. He felt a momentary rage at the thought of someone taking advantage of the girl. 

Tommy pushed those suspicions to the side and continued, “I don’t have any morning appointments. Meet me in the study in an hour.”  
“I’ll be there,” she said, positively glowing.

She tucked a stray wisp of hair behind her ear and finished collecting the dishes onto a tray. As Tommy turned to leave he called over his shoulder, “And you can tell me all about how you know Al Capone.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter mentions a straw tick mattress. This was a thin cotton mattress that was stuffed with soft straw. These were commonly used in the rural south well into the 20th century, and were often dragged outdoors onto sleeping porches during the summer months. The next chapters will be more Tommy focused, but I felt like I had to get a little of her backstory out there first. Any comments or questions are welcome.


	3. The Warmth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy and Evangeline share a glass of whiskey and work out the details of her new project.

Tommy had a deep need to surround himself with new people. People who didn’t look to him with haunted eyes, full of disappointment and memories of broken promises. “I’ll keep us safe,” he told Grace. “I’ll keep Michael on the legal side of the business,” he told Polly. “You can stop the other work,” he told Lizzie. All lies. The ends always justified the means with Tommy. For this reason, he had taken to telling Billy at the Midland hotel to get him someone new. New people only saw the façade- the power, money, and control that he wanted them to see. Evangeline was someone new.

But it was more than just the clean slate of newness; he was drawn to her. She was interesting and bright, and he needed someone to bridge the gap between work and home. Perhaps she could become a personal secretary. As for the books in the vast library in his study, he couldn’t care less; he had neither time for nor interest in reading. The books were merely a ruse to keep her busy for a little longer, something to fill her time while he decided if he wanted to keep her around or if she would be discarded like so many of the new things that he craved lately. He would find a use for her in one way or another. There was also the matter of her acquaintance with Al Capone. She could prove to be a valuable resource indeed, and he didn’t want her to waste her talents on scrubbing his grout. 

That was another thing that perplexed Tommy. Why on earth was she content with maid’s work? He had her room searched while she was upstairs working. The blinder who reported back said all she had were clothes, lipstick and nail enamel, a photograph of a man in overalls and a woman in a calico dress, and several books.

“What kind of books?” Tommy asked.

“I wrote them down.” 

He handed over a scrap of paper on which was written: Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky, War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy, This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Songs of Innocence and Experience by William Blake, and The Waste Land by T.S. Elliott.

“Huh,” Tommy said as he rubbed his forehead, “Have you heard of any of these?”

“No, that’s a question for Ada. Too bad she is in Boston.”

***

Down in the kitchen, the house maids were buzzing with gossip.

“We have extra work to do because Evie has to ‘help’ Mr. Shelby in his study?” 

“Yeah, organizing his books.”

“He’s never read a book in his life! I know what she’ll be helping him with.”

“Reading ‘im bedtime stories, most likely!”

 

When Frances came into the kitchen the girls quickly resumed their work, and hoped that she hadn’t heard their comments. She had. 

“I would advise you all to keep your speculation about Evie’s new assignment to yourselves. If Mr. Shelby had been on the stair and heard your nonsense you’d all be out on your ears!” Frances admonished them.

But Frances held the same opinion as the housemaids, and she had gently warned Evie to guard her heart. She had spoken to her in a passageway just outside the servant’s quarters. Evie had slipped away to fix her hair and swipe on a bit of lipstick before her meeting with Mr. Shelby. Frances looked her up and down and let out a heavy sigh. 

“Evangeline, he is a handsome man, and you’re all alone in this world. Don’t make the mistake of falling for him, Dear,” she had warned. “He may try to give you the kind of attention that a man likes to give a woman, but you can’t expect anything more from him.” 

Frances had seen both the saint and sinner within Thomas Shelby, and she worried that Evie was on her way to hell in a handbasket.

***

Evangeline met Tommy in his study at the appointed time, and he invited her to sit down. Frances’s words echoed in her ears as she took in the sight before her. Tommy sat at his desk, the late morning sun glinting off of his gold rimmed glasses. She noted that even though he always wore an impeccably tailored suit, he hardly ever wore a tie, and this morning was no exception. He looked up as she approached him. She hadn’t waited on the threshold for an invitation; somehow, it seemed natural for her to just walk in. Now that she had his attention, she had to force herself to look Tommy in the face. Not because she was intimidated, but because there was something in the way he looked at her, always calculating, always assessing, but occasionally there was a flash of something unguarded and warm in his eyes. The flash of warmth was what worried her.

“Drink?” he asked as he poured himself a measure of whiskey. She could smell the familiar notes of good Irish whiskey: vanilla, hops, spice. Sharing a drink with Tommy would be a smart move, she thought, a social activity that would place them on equal footing.

“Yes, please,” Evangeline answered even though she thought it odd for him to treat her in such a manner, after all, she was the hired help. She would soon learn that Tommy Shelby did not operate under the universally accepted rules of society. He functioned under whatever mood took him. Tommy offered her a cigarette from a silver case, which she declined.

“So, Evangeline Cole, tell me why Mr. Alphonse Capone took a personal interest in placing you in my house staff.”

Tommy was the picture of detachment as he coolly lit his cigarette and sipped his whiskey, but the question he asked held a certain weight. Evie knew that she must be forthright in her answer if she wanted to keep her position, so she took a deep breath and told the truth.

“My sister is a favorite of Mr. Capone’s.”

“A favorite?”

“I think you know what I mean.” She shifted in her chair and held Tommy’s stare.

“I’m listening,” Tommy said as he gestured for her to continue.

Evie took a swallow of whiskey to give her the strength to say what needed to be said. It was rich and smooth, and it eased the edges of what came next. 

“Mr. Capone has a house not far from where I was raised. It’s a stopping point between Chicago and Miami, and he comes there several times a year for both business and pleasure.” 

She dropped her eyes down to her glass for a moment. It was not easy for her to describe her sister’s arrangement. Laura was two years older than Evie and blessed with the beauty of a goddess. Laura had a quick wit and a high sparkling laugh that had seemed to attract male attention for as long as Evie could remember, and Laura always knew how to work that to her advantage. She wasn’t mercenary, but she was a survivor. 

“It’s a mountain resort of sorts for him and his associates. He has men from Nashville, Atlanta, Memphis, and Chattanooga meet him there to relax and do business. Not long after he built the house he took a shine to my sister. She takes care of him when he is in town.” 

Tommy considered her explanation then asked, “So where do you come in? Did you work there too?”

Evie winced at his question. “Sometimes, but not as a whore,” she answered, her voice pulled tight with contempt. Whore. The word left a bad taste in her mouth, but that’s what her sister was. Al Capone’s whore. “I helped Laura, my sister, with the house budget, and I kept her company. Mr. Capone practically gave the place to Laura and she keeps it ready for him and his guests. She doesn’t work with other men when he’s not in town. I have met Mr. Capone on a few occasions and he has always been a perfect gentleman.” 

“Why should he care so much about you?”

“He liked me. I was Laura’s kid sister. And he found that he could talk to me about poetry, art, music... things that Laura didn’t care about. Laura is special to him. He likes to make her happy, and looking out for me makes her happy.”

“Surely he could have found another position for you. Something more than a housemaid.”

Evangeline finished her whiskey, winked at Tommy, and with a steady resolve said, “Actually, this was exactly what I needed.”

“I see.” Tommy finished his cigarette and crushed it out in the heavy crystal ashtray that sat on his desk. 

He believed her account of her relationship with Capone. Despite her efforts to appear relaxed, he could see that it took nerve for her to share her story with him. Tommy still wanted to ask her about what pushed her away from her academic endeavors, but he decided to pursue that some other time.

***

As the weeks rolled on, Tommy trusted Evie with more and more of his business dealings. Her household duties were pushed aside to the point of being nonexistent, except for cleaning his study. One morning, she sat on the leather couch proofreading a letter that was to be posted to London, and she could feel Tommy’s eyes on her. He had realized that Evie was still wearing a housemaid’s uniform while she worked as his de facto personal secretary. She glanced up to see if he needed her, but before she could speak he rose and walked to where she was sitting. 

He held a roll of pound notes out to her and cleared his throat. “Miss Cole, I will need you to accompany me, on occasion, to meetings and events. You need a wardrobe that will suit your role within the company. Use a driver to take you into town. Buy some new things.” 

Evie was a bit awestruck. She realized that Tommy had been giving her more responsibilities and trusting her with more intelligence, but he was offering her more money than she had ever seen in one place. Tommy sensed her hesitation, and sat beside her on the couch. “Evangeline, this is how I do business. I want you to work exclusively for Shelby Company Limited, and you need to look the part. I can’t take you to meetings in a maid’s uniform.” 

Evie took the roll of notes and looked up at him with gratitude. “Thank you Mr. Shelby. I… I appreciate the chance that you are giving me. But the shopping, I am not sure that I would even know where to begin.” 

Evie had done very little shopping in stores. Growing up, her mother made most of her clothes. What couldn’t be made was ordered from a catalogue or bought off of the back of the rolling store. Even after she began her studies, things were ordered or bought for her. She didn’t want to disappoint Mr. Shelby, but she had to be honest. She was still looking at him with wide eyes as she unconsciously bit her bottom lip, which she often did when she was thinking. 

Evie could swear that Mr. Shelby sometimes looked at her in the way that a man looks at a woman. He was looking at her in that way now. 

“I like to take care of my people,” Tommy softly said. He reached for the letter that Evie had been reading, and his hand touched hers. He held it there for a second and warmth spread throughout his body. It was more than the feeling of warmth that he got from the “new” girls that Billy got for him at the Midland hotel. He had been physically attracted to her since the morning that he found her leaning out of his bathroom window for fresh air, but now he found that he genuinely liked her. 

Evie smiled at him in her easy way and drawled, “You do take good care of me, Mr. Shelby. Don’t worry, I’m sure I can figure out what to buy.” 

Tommy gave her a half smile and shook his head. “I’ll call Polly. She is always up for a shopping trip, and she can show you the ropes.”

“I’d like that, thank you.” 

"The circles that I move in, they’re different than what you are used to. But, I’ve been watching you. You adapt to situations.” He stood and walked back toward his desk, lighting a cigarette along the way. Turning back toward Evie, he blew a thick plume of smoke and pointed at her. “Besides, if you can charm Capone, you won’t have any trouble with my associates.”

Evie breathed a sigh of relief and cocked an eyebrow at Tommy, “Maybe I can pick out a tie or two for you.” 

Tommy laughed. Tommy Shelby laughed, and it felt good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter, I mention a rolling store. A rolling store was a wagon or truck that was stocked like a store. These rolling stores traveled to many rural areas and supplied people with things that they would otherwise have to make the long journey into town to get.


	4. The Grenade

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Evie has a bit of a rough morning, but her day improves when she makes a connection with Polly. There is some violence in this chapter- it's a Peaky Blinders fic.

Evie’s feet stung as they pounded the nearly frozen ground. She ran at a frantic pace over rocks, tree roots, and things that she couldn’t see for there was no moon to light her way. She climbed and slipped on damp leaves to cross a gully. Her lungs burned with every brittle breath she drew. When she reached a clearing, her flannel nightgown caught on a bramble and the briars scratched at her legs as she struggled to free herself. Her heart pounded in her ears and tears stung her eyes. Then it happened. It always happened. A shotgun blast shattered the frosty air and broke Evie’s heart into a million pieces all over again. 

Evie sat bolt upright in her bed. Rivulets of sweat ran down her back and in between her breasts. The dream always ended the same way, with the revenuers’ shotgun blast echoing over the ridge. An overwhelming sense of fear and dread overcame her. Bile rose up in her throat and she vomited into the chamber pot. She folded her arms around herself and blinked back the tears that were forming in her eyes. Crying would do no good. Crying would not bring him back. 

“Dear Claude. Wherever you are, I hope you are at peace,” she whispered.

Claude was Evie’s younger brother. Only 13 months apart, they were practically twins. Claude had the same wavy black hair as Evie, the same big brown eyes, and the same easy laugh. The night that the revenuers came, Evie’s father and two older brothers had gone to run a load of whiskey over the mountain to Chattanooga. When her mama saw the headlights bumping along the ridge, she knew that they had come to try to find her daddy’s stills. 

“Evie, take off! Run up to the Morgan’s place and get ‘em to ride you to Laura’s,” Mama shouted as she bundled the baby in a quilt from her bed. 

“No, Mama, I can’t leave you and the baby,” Evie cried. “Where’s Claudy?”

“We’ll hide down in the holler, now go, girl! Laura’s man will know what to do.”

Just then, Claude ran in. He shucked off his barn Jacket and threw it at Evie. “Put this on and go!”

She could hear the roar of the engines coming up the road, closer by the second, so she kissed her mama and ran up the ridgeline as fast as her bare feet would carry her. She was halfway to the Morgan’s farm when she heard the blast. Claude had run back to grab his squirrel rifle. It had belonged to their grandfather and had put food on their table for three generations. He couldn’t bear the thought of it getting confiscated. He almost made it, but as he reached the edge of the woods he was spotlighted. They shot him in the back.

***

Today was the day that Evie would go shopping with Polly. As excited as she was about being able to pick out a new wardrobe, she was a little nervous about spending the day with the matriarch of the Shelby clan. She had met Polly a couple of times and was struck by how her impeccable style and bearing were balanced by her dark edges. She was the epitome of a Shelby woman, well turned out and tough. As Evie washed up and fixed her hair she hoped that Polly was a willing participant in Tommy’s efforts. She couldn’t imagine spending all day with Polly if she didn’t want to be there. 

She had managed to pull herself together after her rough start to the morning. She even hummed a little tune to herself as she painted her lips and checked her reflection in the mirror. Evie was good at pushing her feelings back down into her heart and moving on. The trouble was that sometimes when the pressure got to be too much, she went off like a grenade.

She heard whispers in the hallway and could catch bits of what was being said. “I heard her retching into the piss pot this morning… surely she ain’t already up the duff... she’s been working awfully late…”

Then a voice rang out over the whispers.

“Oi, princess, are you almost finished in there? The rest of us have to get ready too, you know.” A kitchen maid named Katie had been giving Evie a hard time ever since Mr. Shelby had taken an interest in her. This was not the morning to trifle with Evie- not after her nightmare. That combined with the slight nervousness she felt at spending the day with Polly was all she could handle.  
“Oi, you hear me you hillbilly slut?”  
Evie put down her brush and reached into her bag for her knife, a five-inch blade that she had used to cut corn and sucker tobacco. She stuck it into her bra and slowly walked out into the hall where Katie and two other maids stood giggling. Without a word or warning, Evie punched Katie in the center of her face and pulled her to her knees by one of her thick braids. Katie’s nose was a bloody mess and she grimaced as Evie wound the braid tightly around her hand, pulling the girl’s head closer to the ground. When Evie reached into her bra for her knife, the other two girls disappeared. Evie flicked the knife open, bent down close to Katie’s face, and growled, “I may be a hillbilly, but I am not a slut,” as she sawed the thick blond braid off of Katie’s head. The girl screamed and crumpled to the floor in a heap. Evie dropped the braid beside her and in a low voice said, “If you fuck with me again, I’ll cut your tits off.” 

***

Polly had been exceedingly kind to Evie on the drive into town. They sat in the back of the Bentley while the driver navigated the busy streets of Birmingham. Evie was keenly aware that what she wore looked shabby, especially next to Polly, but she kept her head up and her back straight. Mama used to tell her, “Don’t slouch, Evie. It makes you look trashy,” so, Evie always kept her spine straight and her chin parallel with the floor. She noticed that Polly carried herself like a queen, and she reckoned that she probably always had done so. 

“Thomas tells me that you’ve managed to sort his files into something manageable. That’s quite a feat. You know, he used to drive me crazy with his fastidiousness. These days, he has so much on that he needs help keeping it all together.”

“I’m glad that he is pleased with my work.”

The rode for a while in silence, then Evie commented on the weather, and Polly talked about the shops that they would visit.

Polly made small talk and Evie politely reciprocated until Polly finally broke down laughing and shouted, “Oh, bloody ‘ell! I can’t hold it in any longer! Did you really threaten to cut the daft cow’s tits off?” 

Evie was a bit taken aback, but she recovered quickly. With a sly grin, she replied, “Yes, I did, and she’s had it coming for a long time.” 

Polly howled, “Frances said that her nose is broken and you nearly snatched her bald-headed!”

“Well, that’s an exaggeration. I broke her nose and cut one of her braids.”

Polly was still bent with laughter, “You cut off one of her braids, with what?”

Evie took her knife out of her bag and handed it to Polly. “It’s my tobacco knife. My daddy made it for me”

Polly opened it up and felt its weight and balance. “It’s a lovely knife, Dear,” Polly said with a smile, “I believe that you and I are going to get along very well indeed.”


	5. The Kiss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Evie moves into her own place. Everything is going well until Tommy comes to see her.

To say that Evangeline was pleased with her new living arrangement would be the understatement of the century. She had spent the whole morning smiling to the point that her face hurt. After their epic shopping adventure, Polly had insisted that she move into the coach house in Tommy’s stables. 

“You cannot go on living in the servant’s quarters. Where would you keep all of your clothes?” Polly said with a straight face. “Besides, if you are going to be Tommy’s personal secretary, you will need your own place. If anything, you’ll need a refuge to get away from Tommy at the end of the day. I’ll tell him, and I’ll get a few men to bring over some furniture.” The way that Polly told her this left no room for argument, and Evie was thrilled to accept her generosity.

Polly thought of everything. When Tommy had suggested that she take one of the unoccupied rooms in the main house, Polly snapped, “Like hell, she will!” She could see where Tommy’s benevolence was likely leading. If she couldn’t stop it, the least she could do was slow it down.

“Aunt Pol, you know how I do business. I am liable to need her at all hours of the night,” Tommy protested.

“That’s exactly what I’m afraid of. Leave the girl in peace, Thomas, and let her do her job. We’re already replacing half of the fucking house staff.”

Tommy smiled and shook his head. “She broke Katie Kitchen’s nose?”

This started Polly laughing again, “And…and she used a knife on her,” Polly struggled to push the words past her laughter. “I swear, she’s as mad as Esme when she’s angry.”

“Sweet, little Evangeline?” Tommy chuckled.

Polly did her best to look serious and warned him, “I mean it, Thomas, keep your cock out of it.” She squeezed his arm as she walked away and sighed, “But, it is good to laugh again, eh?” 

***

The coach house was attached to Tommy’s stables but was surprisingly accommodating. There was a large sitting room with a recessed area which served as a bedroom. There was also a bathroom which had running water and a tub. When Frances helped Evie to carry over her things, she warned her that it would need cleaning and airing, but Evie did not mind at all. She was well versed in the art of making something out of nothing and had no doubt that she would be very comfortable there. 

While Frances walked around the dusty room opening cupboards and windows, she told Evie, “Mrs. Gray is sending over a bedroom suite, rugs, and curtains, but I’m afraid you’ll have to sort all of this by yourself. As you know, we’re shorthanded at the moment.”

Evie studied her face and decided that she saw a mixture of pride and amusement there. Frances was glad that someone had put Katie in her place. She was on the verge of firing her but had been told to give her a second chance because she was Billy Kitchen’s little sister. Katie thought that her connections would give her immunity for all of her mouthing off. She was wrong. 

“Frances, I have enjoyed working for you. Thank you for all the patience you’ve shown me, it’s just…”

“You don’t have to explain, pet,” Frances warmly said. “I hate to lose you, but Mr. Shelby is giving you the opportunity of a lifetime. Grab the brass ring and don’t let it go.”

***

Later that afternoon, Tommy scowled as he strode across the garden. He had rung for a housemaid to carry a message to Evangeline, but no one answered his call. “Bloody fooking ‘ell! I’ll do it meself, then!” he roared to an empty house. He regretted giving in to Polly on the terms of Evangeline’s living arrangements, and he resented Polly’s interference even if she was only trying to protect Evangeline and save him from himself. He wanted her to be at his beck and call, and her living at the back of the property was going to be a bloody pain in the arse.

His anger was quickly forgotten when he walked through the open door of the coach house. Evie’s dark hair was loosely plaited into two messy braids, and a red bandanna was tied over the top of her hair. She wore a pair of loose overalls over a man’s undershirt. Her bare feet were perched on a stepping stool as she reached over her head to swat at cobwebs with a dustrag. He watched her clean a whole corner before he made himself known. 

She hadn’t heard Tommy come in and was startled when he cleared his throat. “Shit fire!” she roared, then, “Oh, God, I’m sorry, Mr. Shelby,” as she realized who was standing in her sitting room.

Tommy was amused by her reaction. He pursed his lips and rolled his eyes, “That’s quite alright. I came over here to…,” Tommy was momentarily distracted by her pretty red toenails, “make sure that you were able to arrange everything for tomorrow’s meetings.”

“Yes, sir. Everyone has confirmed, and I placed an agenda in your briefcase.” 

Tommy looked around the room. It was sparsely furnished, but Evie was starting to make it look like a home. “I hardly recognize the place. Do you have everything that you need?”

“Yeah, I think I have it in hand. Polly is sending a few things over.” She couldn’t suppress her excitement as she told him, “I’ve never had my own place. I don’t know how I can ever repay your generosity, Mr. Shelby.”

Tommy waved her comment away as he walked around the room, admiring how Evie had already placed fresh flowers on the table and hung herbs to dry in the kitchen. “Just make sure that you are at the main house most of the time. I can’t run out here to fetch you every time I need a letter.”

“Of course, Mr. Shelby.” Oh, I almost forgot…” Evie walked over to her bed and picked up a small box, “I picked up a little something for you.”

“I wonder what it could be,” Tommy mumbled with a sarcastic smile. 

Tommy took the box from her hands and opened the lid where he found a sapphire blue silk tie. He ran his fingers over the fabric. “This is very nice. Thank you,” he almost whispered. “Will you help me?” He held it out before him and took a step toward her.

Now, Evie knew good and well that Thomas Shelby OBE was more than capable of dressing himself, but she couldn’t resist a chance to be close to him. Close enough to smell his aftershave, close enough to smell the whiskey on his breath and see the freckle on his top lip. Evie turned her face up to his, “The color reminded me of your eyes.” 

She took the tie from his waiting hands and he adjusted his collar. She slipped the silken material around his neck and smoothed it down with her fingertips. Tommy watched her, as she slowly looped and arranged the silk into a perfect Windsor knot. As she finished, she raised her eyes to find Tommy looking down at her with his lips slightly parted. He licked his lips and breathed, “Thank you, Evie.” He brought his hands up to her face, pulling her closer as he tenderly kissed her lips. It lasted only a brief moment as if he wanted to test the waters and see how she would respond. Evie sighed as he drew back, his liquid eyes never leaving hers. She gazed up at him in dreamy disbelief as Tommy caressed her cheeks and neck. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning, yeah?” 

Evie was paralyzed, completely overwhelmed by what had just transpired, but finally managed to whisper. “Yes, Mr. Shelby.”

Tommy adjusted his tie as he walked towards the door, “Call me Tommy.”

After Tommy left, Evie stood rooted to the spot where he had left her for a long time. Her mind slowly re-engaged, and she started to feel the gravity of her situation. She could still feel the heat of his lips on hers as she reached up to touch where his fingertips had been. She could see this whole scenario coming; in fact, she had encouraged it. But now that he had actually kissed her, her emotions swung between hazy ecstasy and fear. Part of Evie wanted to throw herself headlong into an affair with her boss, but the practical side of Evie, the one who had known betrayal and loss, told her to nip it in the bud. 

She came here to be anonymous. She was supposed to be a nameless faceless housemaid in an out of the way place. Laura said that Al had found the perfect place for Evie to hide out until the heat died down, “He does business with this Shelby family. They live out in Birmingham-miles away, Evie. You will be out of harm’s way, but close to Al’s people if you need to reach him.” But Evie was never cut out to blend into the background. What was she going to do now?


	6. Too Fast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy and Evie begin the day in meetings and end it on his leather couch.

Tommy slept well the night that he and Evie kissed. Of course, he did, he had nothing to lose. Tommy did as he pleased, and the rest of the world had to adjust to his dictates. Tommy with a new woman was nothing out of the ordinary for him, but he usually kept them at an arm’s length. They served a purpose, but he did not particularly enjoy spending time with them outside of the bedroom. This was different. Tommy felt a little like a kid with a new toy. By placing Evangeline as his private secretary, he could spend as much time as he wished with her. As he dressed and smoked the first cigarette of the day, he thought about all the things that he could show her. “I’ll bet she’s never been to London, and I can’t wait to show her around.” He could imagine her giggling and her pretty red toes splashing around in the fountain outside of his club.

While he put on the tie that she had bought him, he smiled, “I gave her money to spend on herself, and she used part of it to by a gift for me.” He had been adrift since he lost Grace. All the risky behavior, all the empty sex, he had worked so hard to anesthetize himself that he had forgotten what it felt like to be alive. Evie made Tommy feel alive. He knew from experience, though, that women could be a little unsteady at the beginning of an affair with him. He wanted to reassure Evie that everything was okay, so he sent a tray of tea and fresh cut roses down to the coach house. He included a note, “I need you here by 8:00. We will be in Birmingham all day. Tommy”

Evie had tossed and turned all night. She was fairly certain of Tommy’s intentions; He had been plainly interested in her for a while now. He clearly knew what he was doing, and even though Evie had her eyes wide open as a willing participant, she still felt a little like a fly being invited into the spider’s parlor. But, she liked it. She was seduced by his reputation as a bad man as much as by his crystal blue eyes, lean hard body, and razor sharp jaw line. The moments she shared with Tommy, the kiss, the caresses, were better than all the hot summer nights she spent with her boyfriends back home. Those boys were sweet, she even made love with a couple of them, but they were not in the same league as Tommy Shelby. The one hot kiss that she and Tommy shared left her weak and longing for more; it was better than any sex she’d had. He obviously had feelings for her too, but she was less sure of how he would feel when she came clean about the events that led her to Arrow House. After getting the tea and flowers, she decided to see how the events of the day unfolded, and then maybe she would tell him the whole truth tonight.

***

Evie sometimes had to pinch herself when she marveled at her surroundings. Riding alongside Thomas Shelby, OBE, in a Bugatti made her head spin. She was thankful that he had arranged for Polly to go shopping with her. For once, she felt like she looked like she belonged beside Tommy, right down to the silk underthings that Polly insisted that she buy. He was always handsome, but this morning he was dressed to kill (he wore the tie) and smelled like heaven. The overcast grey skies of Birmingham only made his blue eyes more striking, and Evie found her mind drifting at times. The air in the car was thick with anticipation, but they each remained on their own side of the seat. Tommy sat beside her, silently reviewing his agenda for the day. His gold-rimmed glasses did nothing to blunt the effect of his gaze when he turned to her.

“Miss Cole,” Tommy said, as he slipped into business mode, “today I want you to watch and listen. Take notes and hold any questions you may have until we return to the car.”

“Yes, Mr. Shelby,” she replied. Mirroring his professional demeanor. 

He moved his hand to her leg and reassuringly squeezed her thigh. “Just follow my lead.” 

Evie nearly swooned at the contact. Tommy merely looked out the window and smirked until Evie placed her hand on his thigh and whispered, “Of course, Mr. Shelby.”

She lightly dragged her nails across his leg as she removed her hand, causing Tommy to shift in his seat and cross his legs. Two could play at that game.

They pulled up to their first meeting at a factory owned by Shelby Company Ltd. And run by Tommy’s brother, Arthur. Evie had heard stories about Arthur. He was once the mad dog of the Shelby family, unpredictable and feared by everyone from Small Heath to Camden, but he had settled into his role as an executive. He was still a menacing figure to those who dared to cross him, but these days he rarely got his hands dirty with the blood of others. The calming influence of his wife, Linda, had helped with his transformation.

Evie was not afraid of men with blood on their hands. Her daddy and her two older brothers were known for delivering swift justice to anyone who dared to come for the business on their patch. For the most part, everybody stuck to their own territory, but occasionally some slicker from Chattanooga or Murfreesboro decided to try the Coles. It never ended well for the outsider. Even Al Capone gave her family a fair shake. Evie grew up with a respect for the way that business was done. To her, it was just a matter of course. So, when she heard stories about how ruthless and savage Arthur Shelby could be, she didn’t bat an eye. In fact, it made her admire him more. 

Tommy guided her into the plant with his hand at the small of her back. To any bystander, they seemed like a pair of business colleagues. No one could detect the heat that simmered between them with every seemingly innocent touch. As they settled into chairs around a table on the upper floor of the factory, Arthur gave Evie a warm smile. After introductions, Arthur enthusiastically turned to her, saying, “I have heard all about ya, Miss Cole. Polly had a lot of nice things to say. That’s high praise indeed.”

Evie looked at Tommy, who nodded his approval, then she answered, “I’m flattered, and I’m pleased that Mrs. Gray has faith in my abilities.” 

“So, what kinds of things does our Tom have you doing?”

Tommy abruptly cut in, “Secretarial things. We have quite a few things on the agenda. Shall we begin?”

The meeting with Arthur passed rather quickly. Evie was able to follow most of the conversation about accounting details, but when the talk turned to import and export licenses she became lost. She worried that she was out of her depth, but she did as Tommy asked. She kept notes as best as she could, and scrawled questions in the margins of her notebook to be asked later. Her bafflement must have shown because occasionally Arthur would pause and explain exactly what he and Tommy were discussing. She gratefully accepted these footnotes but didn’t want to appear ignorant. She made a mental note to keep a neutral expression during the rest of her workday. 

Another obstacle that she would need to overcome was her lust for Tommy. She struggled at times to keep her mind on what was being discussed because all she could do was watch his mouth and remember how it felt on hers. Tommy seemed to know what she was thinking about and was amused by it, staring at her as his leg “accidentally” brushed hers under the table and needlessly licking his lips after taking a drink. He could play these games all day.

Back in the car, Tommy addressed Evie’s lack of focus. 

“Evie,”

“Yes, Tommy.”

“Did you take down all of that?”

Evie read her notes from the meeting back to Tommy, and, thank God, they were coherent.

“It seemed like your mind was wandering a bit back there. Are you distracted?”

Evie thought to herself, “YES! I can’t stop watching your mouth as you talk, smoke, drink whiskey… Lord have mercy! Everything you do calls attention to your lips and makes me wish they were on me!” 

But she smiled demurely and said, “I am. It’s well past lunchtime and my stomach is gnawing at my backbone. I know that you don’t ever eat, but I do.”

“Are you sure that’s all?” Tommy said as he leaned closer to her.

Evie reached up to caress his cheek and traced his jawline with her finger. As her fingers reached Tommy’s chin, her thumb brushed his bottom lip and he kissed it. “I might be a little distracted by you,” Evie whispered as Tommy’s tongue ran along the underside of her thumb. 

“Well, now, I will have to find a way to keep your mind on the task at hand. Let’s get you fed, and I will see what I can do about our afternoon.” 

***

They had a quick dinner (she ate and he drank) in a pub that served both tea and whiskey, but when it was finished the car turned back toward Arrow House. Evie was perplexed; she thought that they had a full afternoon scheduled. Tommy explained that he had canceled the remainder of their day and wanted to spend the afternoon going over any questions that she might have. His real reasons for wanting to return were less to do with business and more to do with getting Evie alone. 

She was not the only one struggling with carnal thoughts during the meeting with Arthur, Tommy was just much better at hiding his emotions. A lifetime of deal-making and crimes had taught him how to raise the unfazed expression to an art form, but below the surface, he was watching Evie’s every move. He was mesmerized by her deep brown eyes and her glossy black lashes, the sprinkle of cinnamon colored freckles across her nose, and the fluid way that her hand moved across the paper when she wrote. Each time that he brushed his leg against hers he longed to run his hands along the smooth pale skin of her calves and up between her thighs. He could not wait to get her home.

When they returned to Arrow House, they retired to Tommy’s study to review the morning’s progress. As soon as Tommy closed the door behind them it became quite apparent that Evie’s notes would have to wait. She walked a few paces in front of him, but he quickly closed the gap between them. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her to him. As he wrapped her in his arms he murmured against her neck, “I have been waiting all morning for this.”

She inhaled sharply as he nibbled on her neck, sucking and kissing a trail up to her jawline before taking her mouth with his. She melted into his kiss, moaning and sliding her fingers up the prickly shaved sides of his head and grasping the silky longer strands at the top. She heard the hiss of his tie being pulled from his collar and saw the blue fabric sailing through the air. He led her back to the leather sofa where he gently guided her down until she was lying beneath him. He kissed her neck again, and his hands were busy working on the buttons of her blouse when she placed her hand over his. Succumbing to his will was heavenly, but it was all moving a bit too fast.

“Tommy,”

He backed up and looked her in the eye. His skin was flushed and his eyes were full of desire for her.

“This is all happening so quickly, I want you, but…”

A sheen of sweat had popped out on his forehead and upper lip. He hovered over her, inches from her face for a moment, then dipped his head back down to her collarbone, tracing it with his tongue. “But what, love?” His voice was husky and heavy with need as he mouthed her neck and worked instead on unbuttoning his own shirt.

Her better judgment was fading. In the back of her mind, her mama’s voice told her, “Men won’t buy the cow when they can get the milk for free.” But Evie was not a cow, and none of Mama’s warnings could have prepared her for the feeling of Tommy Shelby’s hard-on grinding on her leg through his Viennese tailored trousers. He pulled at her skirt, inching it up over her knees and she could feel his rough hands spreading her thighs as he pushed himself up, wedging himself between her legs. His mouth returned to hers, and he kissed her deeply, his tongue sliding against her own as he pressed her head down into the pillows behind her. Tommy’s hands returned to her blouse, caressing her breasts and pinching her erect nipples through the sheer fabric. He moved toward her buttons once again, but Evie pushed his hands away. With her last shred of self-control, she scooted back from him and cried, “Wait, Tommy, damn it to hell, wait.”

Her outburst made him freeze in his tracks, and he sat up on his knees. His shirt was open to the waist and she could see his chest rise and fall with every exasperated breath. He looked like he wanted to tear her apart, or cry, or both. This was plainly a man who had not heard “No” in a long while.

“Tommy, this is happening too fast for me,” Evie managed to push out between breaths. 

She felt like she was going to explode if she didn’t have him inside her soon. She ran her fingers through her hair and called out, “SHIT! I want you, God, I want you so bad that it hurts, but I have to live with myself in the morning, and I can’t move this fast!”

Tommy wanted to push her back down into the pillows and convince her that she could live with herself just fine in the morning if she let him fuck her eight ways to Sunday. But instead, he embraced her and pulled her head into his chest. “It’s all right, love. We don’t have to go on.”

“I want to go on, Tommy, just not today.” Evie smiled against his pounding heart, “I need a little time with you. Enough time to know that I mean something to you, that you aren’t going to throw me away when I’m not new anymore.”

He held her closer and murmured “I have no intention of doing that.”

Evie nuzzled her head into his chest and sighed. Maybe the hard truth could wait until another day.


	7. The Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy finally learns what brought Evangeline to his house. A confrontation ensues, and things get ugly between them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is violence in this chapter. I struggled with how to depict the fight between Evie and Tommy, but I tried to make sure that the way that both Evie and Tommy react to the situation is true to character and not gratuitous. Tommy and Evie both lash out as a reaction to past trauma. They are not perfect people and it gets messy.

Today was the day. Evie woke up with a strong resolve to tell Tommy her story. If she was going to give herself to him, she would lay all of her cards on the table. She wanted him to know about the hard times that built her into a woman who could stand on her own two feet. She would tell him about her precious mama and her outlaw daddy, her big sister and her strong handsome brothers. She wanted Tommy to know that she, too, had lost a brother in a hail of gunfire and that the grief had nearly destroyed her. She needed him to understand that she knew more about his life than he might believe; her family, like the Shelbys, lived outside the law and paid a heavy price for their misdeeds. She needed him to know the secrets that floated up like specters no matter how hard she pushed them down or how pretty she smiled. Most of all, she had to tell Tommy about the reason she came to Arrow House; Evie had killed a man. 

***

When Evie was sixteen she was reeling from the violent murder of her brother, and the weight of her grief had obscured her happiness. But through a stroke of luck or divine intervention, she was given a chance at something that would change the path of her life in ways that she couldn’t have imagined. There was a liberal arts university about ten miles from where Evie was born. Founded by the Episcopal Church before the Civil War, it was an oddity, to be sure. Its neo-gothic buildings and robed professors belonged more to England than the rural mountain landscape of Tennessee, and visiting professors from Oxford and Cambridge often came for residencies. To satisfy their philanthropy requirements, students from the University were involved with helping local schools. It was in this way that Evie came to the attention of Dr. Foyle, a visiting Oxford professor.

A teacher trainee from the University submitted a portfolio of Evie’s best essays to Dr. Foyle. He was impressed, and upon his recommendation, she was awarded a scholarship to the private boarding school connected to the University. Evie’s parents were amazed by her talents and grateful for the opportunity afforded to her. Evie hadn’t been the same since Claude died; she was sullen, withdrawn, and had begun to lash out in violent rages. Reading and writing seemed to be the only things that gave her any enjoyment. They hoped that the challenge of a preparatory school would turn her life around and be her ticket off the mountain. On the night before she left, her mama slipped out onto the porch where Evie sat balled up in the swing sobbing. 

“Mama, I don’t know if I can do this. What if I’m not good enough?”

Mama wrapped her arms around Evie, and Evie settled her head on Mama’s shoulder. She held her and stroked her hair for a while before she answered, “Honey, you are every bit as smart as the other girls there. The only difference is that they were born into money, and you were born on the mountain.” 

They sat together in silence, listening to the chirping crickets and calling night birds until Mama spoke again. “You are different, Evangeline, always have been. You were talkin’ a blue streak before you were two and readin’ by the time you were four. All I could hope for Laura was that she would marry well, and I guess she’s done alright in her own way, but I want more for you. I want you to leave this way of life and never look back. I ought not be talkin’ like this, I know, but God meant you for more than just bein’ someone’s wife or, God forbid, mistress.” Her eyes filled with tears as she thought about Laura. “You weren’t cut out to be stuck on this mountain, raisin’ young’ins and watching out for revenuers. Seein’ you go away is going to pain me and your daddy somthin’ awful, but we want this for you, baby. We want something better for you.” 

Mama had spoken, and so at daybreak, her daddy packed her meager belongings into the truck that he used to run moonshine and carried his little girl to her new home.

Although Evie was intelligent and a quick study, she had grown up in an isolated community and had not been afforded the same kind of education as her peers. She needed help getting up to speed, so Dr. Foyle personally tutored Evie and she helped him in his office and with housekeeping. He was a kind man and only wanted the best for her. He even extended his tenure so that he could see her through the twelfth grade. She excelled in her studies and graduated with honors. 

When he was set to return to England he asked Evie to accompany him. She could help his housekeeper and continue her studies under his tutelage. Dr. Foyle believed that she would be ready to enter Victoria College within a year. “You have a brilliant mind, Evie,” he would tell her, “and what you get between your ears, my girl, no one can take away.” Whenever those words came back to her like an echo from the past, she shook the memories, too painful to recall, out of her head. Whatever luck had befallen Evie was snatched away the day that Dr. Foyle died.

***

Evie was prepared to tell Tommy everything, but her plans fell flat when she found that he had left at dawn to go to Birmingham. He did not leave a note, so she busied herself straightening his things and reading up on international business law. She waited for Tommy’s return, hoping that he could ease the anticipation and dread that hid beneath her skin. The sun streaming through the study windows and the silence of the house put Evie to sleep by the afternoon, and she lolled her head back on the same pillows that she and Tommy had lain on the day before. Little did she know that there was a storm gathering.

Tommy scarcely waited for the car to come to a stop before climbing out and slamming the door. In the entry hall, he strode past Frances without saying a word, shedding his coat and flinging it at the hall tree. Tommy had gone to town to meet with the blinder who had searched Evie’s room. He had called Tommy about some urgent information- news that had Tommy seeing red. “Evangeline!” he roared as he approached his study. She barely had a chance to open her eyes and sit up before he ripped the door open with so much force that it bounced off of the wood-paneled wall beside it. Tommy removed his hat and glared at her.  
“We need to have a little talk, yeah?”

He threw his hat down on a side table, slammed the door closed and stalked over to her. Tommy was breathing heavily and struggling to get his temper in check.

Evie’s heart sank and she winced at his violence, “Tommy, what has happened, please, calm down.” 

“Oh, but this is fucking calm.” Tommy’s voice was eerily cold.

“Tommy, you’re scaring me, what is the matter?”

Tommy’s thin veneer of cool vanished, “Martin Foyle, Evangeline! Do you even realize what you’ve done?” Tommy paced back and forth in front of her then stopped before the couch and shouted down in her face, “Why didn’t you tell me about Martin Foyle, Evie?” He was so angry that he was shaking, his face was red and flecks of spittle had sprayed into Evie’s face as he roared at her.

All the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end as adrenaline rushed through her like lightning. Something clicked inside Evie and she returned his fury tenfold. She lunged upward at Tommy, shoved him backward and snarled, “Don’t you EVER get in my face, boy,” she reflexively reached for the knife in her garter, “I will gut you.” She spoke slowly, conviction dripping from every word.

Through the haze of his rage, Tommy recognized that his Evie had gone somewhere else, and what had replaced her was operating on animal instinct. He grabbed her wrist and wrenched the knife out of her hand. He held her arms tightly and tried to restrain her. Refusing to give in, she head-butted him and ran for the door. Tommy reeled for a moment before racing after her and catching her just as she reached the door handle. He struggled with her, trying to get a grip on the chaos he had caused. He tumbled to the floor with his arms around her as she kicked him and cursed at him.

“Evie,” her heels pounded on his shins, “FUCK! Evie! I’m not going to hurt you, I’m just upset is all. I shouldn’t have yelled at you like that. Stop. Kicking.”

His words were meaningless to her. She was lost inside the pain that she felt. Beneath the surface of the sweet girl with the easy smile hid all the trauma that she had forced to the darkest corner of her soul. Starting life hungry and dirt poor, living with the fear that came with her father’s illegal business, watching her brother die in a bloody heap: all of these things had chipped away at her, and now the man who she had grown to love had the audacity to throw the monster, Martin Foyle, in her face. She tried, she really tried not to let her demons win, but they were fierce, and they wouldn’t let her take shit off of anyone. Not even Tommy Shelby. Yet, in time, the warmth of his body and the steady pounding of his heartbeat began to bring her back to herself.

Tommy knew that he had fucked up, but the stakes were high. The information that Evie had withheld could end her life and take away everything that he had worked for. He held her in an iron grip until she became quiet and still. Tommy softly said, “I am going to let you go, and you are going to tell me why there are warrants out for your arrest.” 

A small voice, a ghost of the screams that preceded it, came from Evie, “If you ever get in my face like that again I will slice you from A to Israel.”

Tommy acquiesced, “I understand.”

He slowly loosened his grip on her, and she rubbed feeling back into her arms. Her better judgment returned to her and she no longer saw Tommy as a threat. As they sat on the floor facing each other, he handed her a handkerchief.

“What’s this for?” Evie questioned.

“Your forehead is bleeding.” Tommy winced as he realized that he had a bruise forming below his eye from the same blow.

“You have a hard head,” Evie said as she dabbed at her wound.

Tommy slipped back into dominant mode. “Tell me about what you did to Martin Foyle.”

“I had no choice, Tommy. He attacked me, tried to force me.” 

His previous fears were confirmed, “He tried to…,” he couldn’t bring himself to say the words.

Evie nodded and looked down at her hands, “Yes… His father was my tutor. He was a good man.”

It was all coming together. The way she avoided talking about her plans for university, the way she froze the first time he asked her to sit with him.

“Professor Foyle had been my tutor for around three years when he suddenly died. He had a heart ailment.” Evie’s eyes filled with tears, but she kept talking. “He had no living wife, only his estranged son. He had grown to see me as a daughter and had left a sizable amount of his estate to me. His son was convinced that I had somehow tricked him out of it.”

Tommy rubbed his aching head with his free hand. He knew where this was going, and as badly as it hurt him, it paled in comparison to what she had endured. He needed to hear her out, and so he encouraged Evie to go on.

“On the day that the will was read, Martin waited until his wife went to bed and cornered me. He wanted to hurt me. He kept saying vile things about his father and me, accusing us of…” her voice trailed off, but she drew a shaky breath to continue, “He pinned me to the wall, next to the fireplace and his hands were… he was choking me. He was yelling in my face and he called me his father’s slut. He said that if I was going to get his father’s money that he was going to take his due. I killed him, Tommy, I brained him with an andiron. But he needed killin’”

Tommy felt tortured as he pictured Evie being mauled by that bastard, and then worse when he realized that his outburst reminded her of what it felt like to be pinned down with no way out. He flexed his jaw and fought to suppress his emotions. “Evie, you didn’t kill him. He is alive and he works for Winston Churchill. They’re looking for you. The crown wants to bring you up on charges of inflicting grievous bodily harm and premeditated attempted murder.”

“But there was so much blood, he wasn’t breathing…”

Tommy was up and pacing again. “Attempted murder. You fractured his skull and very nearly killed him, but I assure you, he is alive, and he is using all of his power and influence to track you down. For my part, for harboring you, I stand to lose all of my international shipping licenses, betting licenses, government contracts…everything. If you had only told me from the start, I could have handled this thing quietly.”

Evie, broken and scared, looked up at Tommy. “What are we going to do?”

Tommy looked at her blankly and lit a cigarette. He took a deep drag and exhaled, “I don’t know.”

Evie’s heart sank, but with a determined voice, she countered, “I will leave tonight. I won’t be to blame for your ruination.”

Tommy strode across the room and knelt beside her, taking her into his arms. He put his hand on the back of her head and pressed her face into his neck, “No, you are not leaving. I will think of a plan. Just let me think. No one knows that you came here.”

She pulled away from him enough to look at him with wide eyes, “Except for the house staff, half of which you just fired.”

Tommy didn’t skip a beat, “I can buy their silence. I want you to stay, and we will get through this.”

“You can’t risk it all because of me. I should have told you, but I didn’t know about Churchill. I swear it.”

Tommy placed his fingers to her lips and shushed her, “I have gotten out of far worse situations. We will get through this.” 

She tenderly brushed the bruise underneath his eye with the back of her hand. He sighed and put his arms around her. She tentatively kissed him, afraid to open herself up after the way they fought but desperate to feel his love. He reciprocated gently at first, but the residual passion from their fight soon found its way into the way he held her. They clung to each other fiercely, seeking to shut out the world and its ugliness, determined to help each other through the storm. 

Tommy helped Evie up and led her to the couch. He poured two glasses of whiskey and offered one to her. They sat against each other, drinking in silence until Tommy spoke, “I’m sorry for the way I came at you, love. I was angry, scared of losing you…I lost my head Evie, and I shouldn’t’ave.”

“I’m sorry too. I lose control sometimes, and I can’t stop myself. It started when my brother was shot by a government agent, a revenuer. It changed me, Tommy.” 

He knew the anguish and madness that she described, and their common pain brought them closer. He wanted to discover everything about her, the good and the bad. They drank and talked far into the night, sharing details about their lives. She told him all about her home, her family, and her daddy’s whiskey business. He told her about his mum, his brothers, and how much he admired Ada and Polly. When the liquor was gone and their words ran out, he asked her to stay the night with him. He took her face in his hands and looked deep into her eyes, “I promise to be a perfect gentleman. I just need to feel you beside me.”

Warm with whiskey and full of courage, Evie stood and took his hand, leading him down the hallway to his room. Once inside, she turned her back to him and swept her glossy black hair up off of her neck, motioning for him to help with her buttons. Tommy undid them, one by one, kissing the nape of her neck and down her spine. When he undid the last one she let her dress fall away, revealing a cream colored silk chemise. Tommy ran his hands over the gossamer cloth, tracing the outline of Evie’s body. She stepped out of her heels and unbuttoned Tommy’s shirt. She let her hands glide over his smooth muscular chest and arms as he gazed down at her with half closed eyes. While she removed her garters and tights, he took off his trousers and crossed to the bed. Evie joined him between the crisp white sheets and lay her head on his chest to spend her first of many nights in his arms.


	8. Family Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy calls a family meeting to discuss Evie's situation. Polly and Evie share some tea and bond over common experiences.

Evie was eight when she learned about murder. She’d been taught that Cain slew Abel and the Bible said that it was a mortal sin, but on a cold February night in the eighth year of her life she found out that some people deserved to die. 

There was no moon in the sky, and a blanket of clouds obscured the stars from view. Evie was wrested from her dreams by Mama’s gentle touch on her shoulder. “Evie, I’m puttin’ the baby in with you and Laura.”

“What’s the matter, Mama?” Evie asked as she settled her baby brother into the bed that she shared with her sister.

“Nothing to worry ‘bout, I’ve got to go help your daddy in the barn.” As Mama crept out of the door, she turned and whispered over her shoulder, “Stay inside, and mind the baby.”

As soon as Mama slipped out the door into the night, Evie crept to the kitchen window to see what was happening. There had been too many whispered conversations lately that stopped when Evie entered the room. Her daddy had been away at odd hours of the night, and her oldest brothers Edward and James had disappeared for days at a time. Evie had noticed too that there seemed to be more meat on the table, milk for the baby, and there was even talk of letting her stay in school during planting time in the coming spring. Something strange and secret was happening, and she was determined to find out what it was.

Evie stood on her tiptoes at the window, and by the coal oil lamp in the barn, she could see her daddy lying stretched out on his stomach. His overalls were undone and pulled down to the waist, and to Evie’s horror, his undershirt was the scarlet color of drying blood. Mama was cutting his undershirt off of his body, and James leaned over him with a small knife and a rag. With chilling clarity, Evie realized that her father had been shot, and they were trying to get the slug out of his back. Silent tears rolled down her cheeks as she wondered who would do such a thing. Why would they do such a thing?

The answer came as Edward rumbled up in a truck. He jumped out and sprinted to the barn. Her daddy weakly raised his head and asked, “Did ye get him?”

Edward stood taller than Evie had ever seen as he answered, “Yes, Sir. I did. He’s down Hatchett Holler. Ain’t nobody gonna find him.” 

Her daddy raised his head again, “Did they bust up the still?”

“No, Sir. They didn’t find it.”

Her daddy smiled a drowsy but triumphant smile and her mama patted his shoulder, saying, “Lie down, now, Jeb. You’re losing blood.” 

Evie tiptoed back to her bed and stared into the darkness with her mind racing until morning’s first light crept across the mountain sky. Edward had done murder for Daddy. Which could only mean that some people needed to be killed. 

***

Evie stretched and curled catlike under Tommy’s arm, the smell of sweat and cigarette smoke filling her senses. He coaxed her head up onto his chest and brushed her hair away from her forehead. “Good morning, love,” he smiled as he offered her the cigarette. She shook her head in a small motion, declining his offer. The warmth of his skin and the rise and fall of his breathing threatened to lull her back to sleep, so she propped herself up onto the pillow beside him and nuzzled into his ear.

“You kept your promise,” she softly breathed.

“What’s that?” Tommy asked. He shifted so that he could see her face. Her eyes were puffy from sleep, and her hair was all tangled and wild; she was a beautiful mess.

“You were a perfect gentleman.”

Tommy grunted and took a drag off of his cigarette. He blew the smoke over his shoulder, away from Evie’s face, “Don’t get used to it, eh?” the way he said it made Evie ache between her thighs. She pressed her legs together, which really only made things worse. Tommy’s eyes drank in the sight of her squirming, her plump barely covered breasts straining against her chemise, and pulled her in for a kiss. She sighed and pressed herself to him; Evie could feel her walls coming down. 

It was Tommy who stopped their morning interlude. Exercising all the self-control he could muster, he pulled away from her soft, plush lips and cleared his throat. “We have some things to take care of today,” he held her and stroked her back as he spoke. “Since the warrants for your arrest affect Shelby Company Ltd. and its subsidiaries, I am going to call a family meeting about your situation. I want you to be there.”

Tommy felt her tense up. Evie felt sick to her stomach at the thought of facing Polly, Arthur, and Finn as they found out what sort of trouble she had brought to their doorstep. In the short time that she had been with Tommy she had begun to think of them as a surrogate family. She had grown up in a family like the Shelbys, and in her imagination, she had already built them up as her own. Her heart broke at the thought of getting on their bad side. “Oh, God, Tommy. They are going to hate me.”

Tommy shook his head and gave her a slow smile, “How much do you know about the Peaky Blinders? The trouble that you are in is nothing to scoff at, but it’s hardly out of the ordinary for my family. We’re fucking gangsters. We’ve only just recently begun to go legitimate. No one is going to think any less of you, but we do need to make sure that we are all appraised of the situation,” he rolled his eyes and tugged her chin up to look at him, “They’ll love you more for it, yeah? Polly already thinks you hung the moon, and she’s the one you need to worry about.” He kissed Evie’s forehead and she winced. He leaned back and squinted at the small scab and bruise between her brows, “Still hurts, eh? It doesn’t look too bad.”

Guilt washed over Evie’s features as she gingerly traced the outline of the bruise that had bloomed under Tommy’s eye, “I’m so sorry for everything, I…”

Her words trailed off as Tommy pulled her back into a kiss. One hand spanned her back, pulling her close while the other ran fingers through her hair, sending chills down her spine. His husky whisper tickled her ear, “Not another word of it, love.” Just as she closed her eyes and leaned in for another taste of his lips, Tommy abruptly popped her on the hind end and called out, “Up and at ‘em, time’s wasting,” as he rolled out of bed to get dressed. 

“You asshole!” she giggled, chucking a pillow at his retreating backside.

***  
“What happened to Tommy’s eye?” Arthur furtively whispered, so low that only Polly could hear.

“If I had to hazard a guess, I’d say that Evangeline could go ten rounds with you,” Polly replied, not bothering to whisper.

Polly was not in the mood for tiptoeing around Tommy’s faults. She was told by Frances that there was quite a ruckus in Mr. Shelby’s study the night before, and she had a feeling that it had to do with the reason for this family meeting. Arthur and Finn ducked and stifled a chuckle while Tommy stared daggers at Aunt Pol. Polly smiled innocently at Tommy and lit a cigarette. “Where is Evangeline? If this concerns her, shouldn’t she be here?”

“I want to speak to you, Arthur, and Finn before she arrives. I’ve put her under the protection of the Peaky Blinders. She has gotten into some trouble, through no fault of her own, but she is as good as one of us now, and I want that understood before we begin today.”

Arthur exchanged a look with Polly and spoke up. “I can see you wantin to protect your bird, Tom, but how does this concern us?”

Just then Evie walked through the door behind Arthur. “Because I’m wanted for attempted murder and GBH on one of Churchill’s men.” 

Polly arched an eyebrow and gave Tommy a look that said: “I knew there was a reason that I liked this girl.”

Arthur stood up and pulled out a chair for Evie and motioned for her to sit down between him and Polly. As he settled back into his seat he searched her face for some indication that would let him know that she was joking. When he saw none, he looked back up to Tommy for confirmation. Tommy met his brother’s eyes and nodded once. Arthur ran his hands through his hair and leaned toward Evie. “Right, that’s going to bring quite a bit of heat down on you.”

“Unfortunately, Martin Foyle has named me as his attacker, though it was really the other way around. When I came to work for Tommy, I needed a place to lay low for a while. I have connections to Mr. Capone through my sister, and he arranged with Michael to have me placed at Arrow House until the heat died down. I thought that Foyle was dead and that I would only be wanted for questioning at the most.”

Polly eyed Evie cautiously. “You know Al Capone too?”

“I’ve never been involved with his business. My sister is with him.” Evie stated bluntly, and Polly understood her meaning. Evie continued, “I only found out last night that Foyle is alive and that the crown has warrants out for my arrest. I had no idea that I would bring this kind of trouble to your doorstep,” Evie looked from Polly to Arthur and Finn and back again, “I am sorry.”

Polly crushed her cigarette into the ashtray and took Evie’s hands. “He hurt you?”

Evie held her head high and looked Polly in the eyes. “He tried to.”

Polly squeezed Evie’s hands and returned her look with one of recognition. Polly had known the Martin Foyles of the world all too well. They were the “old boys” or the “chaps”, members of the club who took what they wanted and did as they pleased without question or recrimination. They considered people like her and Evie the lowest of the low, there to be used for their own sick ends and discarded, incapable of thought or feeling. Chester Campbell was one of Churchill’s men, and Polly had nearly swung from a noose over him. Her dark eyes sparkled with fury. “And you nearly killed him. Good for you.”

Arthur was thinking of Chester Campbell and his ilk, too. He knew that they didn’t give up easily. “So what’s the plan, Tommy?”

“A direct hit on Foyle would be too obvious. It would make things worse for Evie and us. But people like him always have skeletons in their closets. We will plant a few operatives to collect information on him. Finn, I’ll need you to round up a few young men we can send around as delivery boys, anyone we can get inside his house. We will plant information if necessary. I want to know who he talks to, eats with, sleeps with. Then, when I have enough to work with, I will approach Churchill about making him disappear.”

“What makes you think that Churchill will agree to your terms?” asked Polly.

Tommy put his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels, “He always has before, and I plan to present incontrovertible evidence about Foyle that will paint him as both an embarrassment and danger to the crown.” 

Evie spoke up. “No one knows I’m here, other than a few that Tommy can pay off. The day he attacked me, I was able to get away clean. As far as they’re concerned, I could have gone back to America.”

“So you can just stay around Tommy’s house until this matter is handled,” Arthur winked at Tommy as he spoke, and Tommy sucked his teeth at him. 

Polly rose from the table and touched Evie’s back. “Come with me. If we want a proper cuppa tea, I’ll have to make it myself.” 

Evie followed Polly down to the kitchen where she shooed the new housemaids away; no great feat, since they were all terrified of Aunt Polly except Frances. Evie put the kettle on while Polly got the pot, cups, and the good tea leaves. Once she had made the tea, Polly let Evie know why she had asked her along. “I have a couple of things I want to talk to you about. One: what happened to your forehead, and two: what happened to Thomas’s eye?”

Evie answered in a straightforward manner. “He wouldn’t let me go, so I head-butted him.”

Polly raised her eyebrows over her teacup, in an indication that she expected more of an explanation, so Evie told her a little more. “Tommy came on a little strong about the warrants at first, and I panicked. I tried to run, but he held me.” Evie smiled and added, “I’m glad that he did.” 

“He has never been the type to put his hands on a woman. You are safe with Tommy…”

Evie looked down into her teacup and whispered, “I know. He’s a good man.” 

Polly smirked and rolled her eyes, but didn’t respond to that particular comment. Then continued with what she was saying, “I don’t presume to know what you are used to, or how you have been brought up, but I have noticed that you have a bit of an explosive temper. I know that it has served you well. You have survived situations that would have buried other girls. Just know that you are safe here. Tommy cares for you; I know his heart better than anyone, and I see it.”

“It’s just hard when you are used to being on your guard,” Evie told her. “When you’ve been attacked, it’s hard not to see threats everywhere. Even where there are none.”

Having finished her tea, Polly smoked while she talked. “You know, I killed one of Churchill’s men. He hurt me and I killed him. A police inspector. He liked them small and weak too. I guess we’re not as weak as we look.” 

Evie finished her tea, grateful to Polly for the conversation. In Polly, she had found someone as strong as Mama and as glamorous as Laura, but Polly seemed to understand Evie’s troubles in a way that neither Mama nor Laura could. Polly had faced the same devils as Evie and could help her grow into her new life.


	9. Progress and Temptation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Blinders make some progress on their campaign to avenge Evie, and lo, though Tommy wanders in the desert of sexual drought he is able to resist temptation. Arthur is a precious bean in this chapter.

Evie sat in the study with Arthur, pretending to read the paper while Arthur made phone calls and did paperwork. Polly’s talk had done Evie a world of good. She knew that Tommy cared for her, but it felt good to have Polly confirm it. “You are safe with Tommy,” Polly had said. Evie’s head told her that this was true, so why did her gut tell her to run and fight, yesterday? 

Tommy had told her to forget about it, but her conscience was still pained by the vicious way that she reacted to him. He had no business yelling in her face, but she knew that her response was wrong. She still had demons to tame, but, she could keep her temper when she didn’t feel physically threatened. She remembered the time that she had kept a level head when she had wanted to clean Anna Claire Beaumont’s plow.

One morning as Evie made her way to All Saints Church for chapel, a shrill voice stopped her in her tracks. “Evangeline, I heard some interesting things about you this weekend.”

Evie braced herself for a confrontation. Anna Claire Beaumont was a constant torment to the girls in Evie’s class. She was rich and beautiful and the daughter of a Mississippi cotton king, but somehow her good fortune wasn’t enough to keep her satisfied. She had brought along her usual band of sycophants to witness her cruelty.

“I was at a party with some of the boys from the SAE house, and they said that they got their liquor from a bootlegger named James Coles. Ever heard of him?” She sneered down her turned-up nose at Evie.

Evie ground her teeth and continued to walk into the chapel, but Anna Claire kept talking.

“Isn’t that your brother? Hmmm?”

Evie did not answer, and that seemed to egg the other girl on. “They also mentioned that you have a sister, named Laura, I believe. She lives in a big old house on Nightingale Lane, just off of Highway 41. Isn’t that right? The boys said that she has some very friendly roommates.”

Evie stopped walking, but she could not turn around to face them. One of the girls who was with Anna Claire giggled and shushed her. “Think of poor Evangeline’s feelings, she can’t help what her family does.”

“Poor Evangeline! She’s a charity case. You’d think that with so many successful businesses her family could pay her bills.”  
Evie was numb with rage. She balled her fists so tightly that she brought blood on the palms of her hands. In her mind, she tackled the blonde and slammed her head into the limestone steps of the church until she could never say another hateful word. But, she knew that her scholarship would be taken away if she put those thoughts into action. She would not let Anna Claire, or anyone else, take away what she had worked so ferociously to earn. As much as it pained Evie, she pushed all of her hate down into her heart and walked into the church with her head held high and hellfire in her eyes.

Evie was amazed that she could hold herself back. It wasn’t her usual way. She also recalled her mixed feelings on the subject. When Evie went home for Thanksgiving, Mama could tell that something was troubling the girl. Evie told her about Anna Claire, “Mama, what bothers me is that I didn’t defend James and Laura. I should have wiped the floor with that heifer, but I knew that it would jeopardize everything I’d worked for. I feel like I let the family down. I should have taken up for my kin. Sometimes I feel like I’m playin’ a game that I can’t win.” 

Mama tucked Evie’s hair behind her ear and reassured her. “Honey, you are stuck between two worlds. To some of those people, you’ll never be good enough to be in their club. Then back home, there will always be those who will say that you are getting above your raising. I tell them ‘Damn straight, she is,’ because I want you to fly as high as you can. Now, I know that you don’t put on airs and place yourself above us, and I know that you wanted to make that hussy pay for calling you out, but you did right by walking away. You played it smart. Your schoolin’ is your ticket out of here.” 

“In my head, I know that, but I still feel like I should have stood up.”

“If you are going to get along in the world, you will have to learn to act like them. I’m not sayin’ that you should lose who you are, but you will have to fit in with their manners.” Mama tickled her side and smiled. “You’re already losin’ your accent.”

“Maybe it sounds like it to y’all, but the rest of the world still hears it!”

Evie heaved a great sigh at the memory. Just the other day Tommy had told her that he loved the extra syllable that she added to the word Bir-ming-haa-yum. Even after a year in England, it hadn’t gone away.

“Evangeline, you are sucking all the air out of the room with your bloody sighing,” Arthur said with brotherly affection. “Tommy and Finn are already working on taking care of your business. It will be done before you know it.”

“I know. I trust y’all to handle it. It’s just…” Evie hesitated. She had been taught that the disagreements between a man and a woman should stay between them, and she had already run her mouth to Polly. She needed help, though, and given his past, Arthur seemed like an expert.

Arthur put his pen down and looked up at Evie. “If there’s something you aren’t telling us you’d better spill it now.”

“I’ve told you everything. I need advice.”

Arthur was taken aback. A woman had never come to him for advice and he didn’t quite know what to do. He placed his hands on the desk, palms down and sat up straighter. “Alright, About what?”

“Before I met you I heard things about you. How you were the Shelby’s mad dog. Everyone around here is still terrified of your temper, even though you’ve turned over a new leaf.” 

Arthur stared at Evie, unsure of how to respond, and unsure if he liked where this conversation was headed. “Well, I have turned over a new leaf.”

“I don’t say this to put you down. I admire a man who can deal swift punishment to his enemies. My father and my brothers are the same. The trouble is, you see, I am that way too...”

“Sweetheart, what you did to Martin Foyle was well deserved. You did what you had to do,” Arthur interjected in an attempt to make her feel better.

But, Evie shot back, “Katie Kitchens is half scalped and will never draw a full breath through her nose again, just because she called me a slut. There’s a whole list of people back home who are scarred and fucked up because they got crossways with me. And worst of all, last night, I pulled a knife on Tommy and nearly broke his cheekbone because he tried to stop me from leaving the room during an argument. I can’t continue like this. I’m a good person, Arthur, I’m usually loving and kind, but when I fly into a rage I can’t stop myself. How can I make myself stop?” Her eyes filled with tears and her bottom lip trembled as she continued, “I don’t want to lose Tommy.”

Arthur crossed the room to where she sat and gave her his handkerchief. “You ain’t in no danger of losing Tommy, believe me, It will take a lot more than that.”

“That’s what worries me. What if every time we get into an argument I fly off the handle? He won’t put up with that, no one should.” Evie dabbed at her eyes and blew her nose.

“Linda’s love helped me stop. She thinks it was the good Lord, but it was really her. If you let Tommy take care of you and love you, your rage will become less a part of you. After you feel safe for a while, it will stop.” Arthur patted her arm, and she stood up to hug him. He hesitated for a moment, then put his arms around the girl. “Alright, that’s good, alright,” he said as he patted her back and pulled away, blushing and smiling. 

***

Tommy had gone into Birmingham to set his plan in motion. When he walked into the Midland Hotel, all heads turned. Tommy had not been seen in the hotel in over a month. He was shown to his regular table and the maître d, Billy, quickly appeared with a whiskey sour. Tommy nodded his appreciation and lit a cigarette as the man stood anxiously awaiting Tommy’s order. Billy recalled that Tommy had preferred brunettes lately, but all he had available were two blondes and a redhead. Tommy sipped his drink and motioned for Billy to come closer. “I need a favor, Billy, I need you to find dirt on a man named Martin Foyle, from Manchester”

“Dirt?”

Tommy palmed a fifty-pound note into Billy’s hand and pulled him down close to his face. “Dirt. Who he fucks, when, where, and how often. I want any and every detail you can get.”

“Yes, Mr. Shelby. I will see what I can do.”

Tommy squeezed Billy’s hand. “I know that your brother works at the Paramount Hotel in Manchester. There’s double that amount for you and your brother when you get me my information.” Tommy fixed him with an icy stare that told him that he had no choice in the matter. He could either do Mr. Shelby’s bidding and be paid handsomely, or fail and have his face carved up. 

Billy loosened his collar with his free hand and stood up straight. “Of course, Mr. Shelby. Will there be anything else?” Billy ran through a mental list of brunettes who could be called away from other clients if need be. Ella, Jewell, Lily…

“No, thank you.” Tommy almost couldn’t believe the words coming out of his mouth, and Billy’s face registered visible shock as he turned to return to his station. Tommy was sexually frustrated and badly needed the release that Billy’s girls were so well equipped to provide him. His mind went to his usual suite. There would be a girl waiting, wearing stockings, garters, and heels. Nothing else. He liked them when they were ready to fuck, tits and pussy on display for him when he entered the room. Evie would have no idea if he spent the afternoon with a young, eager, tight, wet… He could feel his cock getting hard. He took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes, trying to banish the thought of an easy lay from his mind. Something had to happen between Evie and him. Soon.

Tommy signaled for two more drinks as Arthur joined him. “I don’t know how we went all those years without knowing about whiskey sours, eh, Tommy Boy,” Arthur said as he raised a glass to Tommy and downed half his drink.

Tommy smiled at his brother. “Yeah, you brought some good habits back from London,” he put the emphasis on the word some. 

“I have our people working on Foyle’s financials. Seems our boy likes the horses. He’s got a fortune from his wife, but she don’t ever accompany ‘im to the track. I’d say she don’t know about the state of their affairs.”

“Good. Has Finn made any headway?” 

“I haven’t heard from him this afternoon; I guess he and Isaiah are still working on it.”

Tommy pulled his watch from his pocket and looked around. He was desperate to get home to Evie.

“You, ah, gonna stay awhile, Tom?” Arthur motioned up the stairs with his eyes and a slight jerk of his chin.

Tommy finished his drink and sighed. “No. I’m going to check on a few things at the office then head home.”

Arthur rose to leave and clapped Tommy on the back. “Good man, Tom.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OK, I think Evie has done enough whining about her anger management issues. From here on out, she will embrace the beast within.


	10. Until They Weren't

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy and Evie take their relationship to the next level (the doin' it level); however, a visit from Lizzie throws a wrench in the works.

In the weeks following the family meeting, Evie had to stay hidden away at Arrow House. Even with the heavy Blinder presence in Small Heath, Tommy didn’t want to risk Evie being sighted by any of their enemies. It was boring for the most part, but Evie understood that Tommy was only trying to assure her protection. It was the original plan, after all, that she would remain an anonymous entity in the country. Al knew best from the beginning, and great minds think alike. Tommy threw himself into his work and into ending the threat that loomed above their heads.

Tommy brought work home at night, but it was usually of a kind that she couldn’t help him with. She found herself at loose ends much of the time, and so had to find diversions on the grounds of the estate. During the day, Evie read about business law and spent time at the Lee’s camp. The Lee women were a little wary at first, but Evie soon won them over with her knowledge of plants and herbs. They were able to help her forage for English plants that she’d never heard of, and she shared with them her recipes for tinctures and medicines. Jonny Dogs even promised to build a still for Evie so that she could make small batches of corn liquor. 

On the nights that Tommy was not absorbed in his work, he and Evie spent long evenings talking, riding horses, and getting to know each other better. On one such night, Tommy still wasn’t home after 10:00. Dinner was over, and Evie had gone down to the coach house to have a bath and listen to records. In addition to the furniture that Polly sent to her, she also sent a gramophone. Evie was thrilled with this unexpected touch of luxury and had appealed to Finn and Arthur to be on the lookout for records from the Carter Family, Louis Armstrong, and any jazz or blues records they could get their hands on. This particular night, Evie was soaking in a hot bath while listening to Bessie Smith. She had drunk a few sazeracs and lay in the bathtub, eyes closed, singing “A Good Man is Hard to Find” at the top of her voice:

Lord, a good man is hard to find  
You always get another kind  
Just when you think that he's your pal  
You look and find him foolin' 'round some old gal  
Then you rave, you all crave  
You want to see him in his grave  
So if your man is nice, take my advice;  
Hug him in the morning, kiss him at night  
Give him plenty lovin'; treat your good man right  
Oh, a good man is so hard to find

It was during the second chorus that Tommy walked in. Evie didn’t notice his presence until he gave her a well-deserved round of applause. This startled her so much that, before she realized what she was doing, she slung her highball glass at him. Tommy ducked with his hands up and cried, “For God’s sake, Evie! It’s only me!” before dissolving in a fit of laughter. 

“Ha, ha, ha!” she yelled in mock anger, “You scared the fool outta me! This is why it’s NOT a good idea for me to carry that pistol you bought for me. I’m afraid that I’m a shoot first, ask questions later kind of girl.” 

“You’re beautiful when you’re angry,” Tommy murmured as he crossed the room to the tub.

Evie had sunk back into the water to cover herself and giggled, “Why don’t you shit and fall back in it?”

Tommy dragged a finger through the water along Evie’s calf. “Surely you don’t mean that. Why don’t you come out of the water? I’ll make a fresh drink for you, and you can continue to serenade me.”

Tommy turned his back and poured the drinks as she wrapped herself in a towel and disappeared behind a screen to put on a robe. It was made from sumptuous yellow satin trimmed in cream-colored lace, and it played up the gold flecks in her deep brown eyes. Tommy’s heart skipped a beat when he turned to hand her a drink. “Come ‘ere,” he said in a husky whisper as she moved closer to him. Tommy Shelby was not a patient man, and he had waited longer for Evie than he had ever waited for a woman. Before she could take a drink, he was taking it out of her hand and placing it on the table. He pulled her into an embrace and whispered into her ear. “Evangeline, I need you. I think about you day and night. You’re killing me.” 

She could feel his hardness pressing against her stomach as his hot breath tickled her ear. Evie was dying a slow death, too. She wanted him more than she had ever wanted a man. She spent hours daydreaming about giving in to him and taking matters into her own hands, so to speak. She leaned into him harder and squirmed a little, sighing, “Tommy, I need to know…”

“Do I love you? Yes, Evie, I do.” He gripped her chin and turned her face up to his, and she hung limply in his grasp. “I love you, and I need you.” He tightened his grip on her and kissed her deeply, his tongue sliding over hers and his teeth nipping at her plump bottom lip. “Please, baby…” he whispered as he pulled at the satin sash that separated him from the paradise between her creamy thighs.

“Yes, Tommy, yes,” she moaned as she led him, still entwined in a passionate embrace, to her bed.

With a final tug, he undid the sash on her robe and it fell away from her body just as they reached her bed. She lay before him, her whole body exposed to him for the first time, and as he drank in the sight of her light olive skin and silky black hair he had to blink back tears. He was so moved by his emotions for this girl, whom he had only known for three short months, but in that short time had stolen his heart and soul. He kissed and caressed her body, stopping only to remove another article of his clothing until he was naked beside her, gazing tenderly into her eyes. “Is this your first time?” he quietly asked between kisses.

“No. Does that disappoint you?”

“No, you could never disappoint me. I just don’t want to hurt you.” As he spoke he ran his hand down her stomach and between her legs. She was slippery and wet for him and trembled as he rubbed his fingers in circles over her clitoris. She arched her back and called, “Tommy, oh gawd, Tommy,” as he quickened his pace. Just as she was about to find release, he slipped two fingers inside of her and pumped them in and out while his lips wrapped around first one nipple and then the other one, sending shockwaves of exquisite pleasure down into her core. His icy blue eyes watched, heavy with lust as her face flushed and twisted with pleasure. He wanted to watch her come undone in his hand. He was drunk on the thought of bringing her to orgasm without even having to penetrate her with his cock. Evie was writhing, riding his fingers as she crested, higher and higher, until Tommy rasped, “Look at me, Evie.” Her eyes opened and took in the sight of Tommy, sweat dripping from his brow, lips parted and panting, tongue slowly licking her nipple, and she rocked with the force of her climax.

When Tommy felt the contractions of her orgasm stop he slid his fingers out of her and put them in his mouth, sucking her sweet juices off of them. He could wait no longer, and as he climbed between her legs, he kissed her slowly and tenderly. He balanced on his elbows and hovered inches above her. Tommy pushed the hair back off of her face and looked deeply into her eyes. “I love you, Evie,” he breathed as he pushed into her, throbbing and hot. They moved together, her tight slickness making his eyes roll back in his head. “Fuck, it’s so good,” he growled as he drove into her over and over, deeper with each stroke. The curves of her body cushioned his angles perfectly, and Tommy felt like he could spend the rest of his life right there between her thighs and die a happy man. 

Evie wrapped her legs around Tommy’s back and caressed his straining biceps. Every inch of him was rock hard and sinewy, slick with sweat and musky. She had never come so hard in all her life and he was grinding into her, sending her over the edge again. Tommy was lost in her, she could hardly believe the blissed out, angelic look on his face, and given the measure of sin he was delivering into her. Sweat dripped from Tommy’s chin onto Evie’s breasts as he arched his back and his hips stuttered. He came, filling her with his essence and giving her everything he had. He collapsed on her body, moaning oaths and breathing promises onto her skin, and Evie glowed with the knowledge that he was truly hers.

The next week was wrapped in a warm electric fuzz. Colors were brighter, sounds were sweeter, and Evie walked around in an almost hallucinogenic state. Tommy’s love had knocked her whole perception of the world sideways and she liked it. Time spent with him was almost exclusively spent between her sheets or his, climbing his headboard as he took her from behind or splashing all the water out of his massive tub as she straddled his lap. They were inseparable when Tommy was not at work, and he seemed to be under the same spell that she was. Things were going beautifully, in their hazy, rose-colored world- until they weren’t. 

One evening, Evie was napping in Tommy’s bed. He had come home early to see her, and after they made love he went into his study to finish up some work while she slept. Frances came in and told Tommy that Lizzie was there to see him. Tommy thought nothing of it, as she worked for Shelby Company Limited and would come by occasionally to have something signed or to drop off a file. Tommy told Frances to show Lizzie into his study. 

Evie stirred when she heard their voices, but thought nothing of it and dozed back off. Tommy and Lizzie exchanged pleasantries, and the talk soon turned to Evie. She asked if any progress had been made in Evie’s situation and how she was holding up. Tommy told her that progress had been made, but that they were still a few weeks out from making any moves. In Evie’s subconscious mind, she must have heard her name because she awoke again and sleepily sat up to listen. She didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but they were discussing her after all. 

Lizzie crossed her legs and leaned back in the chair across from Tommy’s desk. “You love her, don’t you, Tom.”

Tommy took a drag of his cigarette and his lips curled into a smile as he exhaled. “Yeah, I do.”

Evie grinned in the next room and crawled to the edge of the bed to better listen. She slipped into the shirt that Tommy had discarded at the end of the bed before putting on a fresh one. It smelled like Tommy and she snuggled into it as she waited for the conversation to resume.

“Just think, Three months ago we never would have guessed,” Lizzie went on.

Tommy said nothing, and there hung a heavy silence in the air for a minute.

“You know, I’ve been seeing Frank for about four months, now. I wasn’t sure about him before, but… I think I love him. He’s good to me. That’s what makes this so hard…I don’t who… ”

“Lizzie…”

She kept talking over Tommy. “Tom, three months ago, you remember that day beside the canal…the day that you were with me but fucking someone else in your head…God, I can’t believe I could be so stupid…”

“Lizzie…” Tommy’s voice cracked as he spoke.

“Tommy, I’m pregnant.”


	11. The Seperation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The fallout from Lizzie's revelation takes its toll on Tommy and Evie. In this chapter, they are sad, drunk, and poorly.

Evangeline sat perfectly still with her legs tucked underneath her. The pounding of her heart thrummed in her ears and drowned out the sound of muffled voices in the next room. “…I’m pregnant.” Had she heard Lizzie right? In the moments that passed between hearing and understanding those words, Evie ceased to exist within herself. She saw shimmering lights sparkle and fade in front of her eyes before she realized that she had forgotten to breathe. She gulped a lungful of air and it burned; the pressure in her chest was nearly unbearable. She struggled to grasp what she had just heard, drowning in the realization that the man whom she had venerated was fallible. His feet were made of clay after all. As her breathing resumed, the din of rushing blood in her ears subsided and she could hear Tommy and Lizzie’s conversation:

“Are you sure?” Tommy’s voice was cool and without emotion.

Lizzie answered in kind. “Of course I’m sure, or I wouldn’t have said anything. I’m three months gone, maybe four. You were going to find out eventually, and I want to know where I stand if it’s yours.”

“It was only one time.”

“That’s all it takes, you know. Look, there are doctors in London who can tell how far along a woman is. If I conceived this baby outside of the date that you and I were together, then we can forget this conversation ever happened.”

“What if it is mine?”

“I’m keeping it, so I guess the answer to that question is up to you.”

Evie could hear the metallic click of Tommy’s cigarette case and the deep inhaling and exhaling sounds of his first drag. She could picture his face, immovable, and the ice in his eyes as he stared Lizzie down. “Go to London and get your answers, Lizzie. I will pay for the doctor.”

“Thanks a lot, Tommy,” she scoffed, “You know, I want this baby to be Frank’s.”

“Then why’d you come?”

She answered him with a trembling, “Fuck you.” 

Tommy’s desk chair creaked with his standing, and his boots fell heavily on the carpet as he walked around to where Lizzie sat. Muffled crying blended with Tommy’s soft “Sshhhh, it will be his. It’s going to be alright.”

“What if it’s not?” Lizzie sniffled, her voice thick in her throat.

“I won’t interfere if that’s what you are worried about. You are happy with him, and I won’t interfere.”

As Tommy stood in the next room comforting his pregnant secretary, hot tears slipped down Evangeline’s cheeks and dripped from her chin, soaking the sleeve of the shirt she wore. It swallowed her whole, and she felt small, like a silly child trying to play in a grown-up game. Of course, he slept with other women before her, but she had never really thought about it. How could she be so foolish as to think that she could have a man like Tommy Shelby all to herself? Doubt crept into her mind and choked her thoughts. Her biggest fear loomed larger with every word that reached her ears; was she just another stupid girl in a long line of fools? How many other secretaries, maids, and assistants had he been with? 

Evie tried her best to force her mind in a logical direction. Tommy hardly knew her three months ago. She was just a new maid in his house…scrubbing his bathroom… It wasn’t like he had betrayed her with Lizzie. She knew that, but still, she felt with each breath that her chest would crack open. It seemed the future that she had dared to hope for was sliding out of view. Evie felt sick when she imagined the baby growing in Lizzie’s belly…of Tommy putting it there, and she squeezed her eyes closed, praying for the wave of nausea to pass. Only moments ago she was a happy girl sitting on Tommy’s bed, love drunk and contented. Now, consumed with jealousy and despair, she wasn’t sure that she wanted to see tomorrow.

 

She wasn’t sure how long she had been sitting, frozen to the spot before she noticed that Tommy had entered the room. She felt his presence before she saw him. He filled the doorway, the sunset’s brilliant glow throwing light onto his features and glinting off his rings. It seemed odd to Evie that he should stand there shining like a golden god. The hell that she was in called for darkness and shadows, not a halo of sunbeams. She found herself shaking her head and weakly laughing at the absurdity of it all. Tommy was carefully approaching her saying, “Evie, how much did you hear?” But, she couldn’t answer; she only looked through him. 

Tommy crouched beside the bed and reached for her hands, but she pulled away from his touch. “Evie, come’ere, love. Let me explain.”

His heart twisted in agony. He needed contact with her. If he could just hold her in his arms he could make her understand. He moved closer and reached for her again, but Evie crept backward, moving to the other end of the bed. “No, Tommy. I can’t…” 

He longed to wrap her up in his arms and convince her that she was everything to him, but Evie had put up a wall. He hung his head and with a shaky voice tried to explain, “It was before I knew you, it meant nothing to me, she was just there…” He used all of the excuses that he could think of, but when he raised his watery blue eyes to look at her he could see that she hadn’t heard a thing. She just stared into nothingness with tears rolling down her cheeks. 

Lizzie’s revelation had thrown his future into disarray, and although he was pretty sure that the baby belonged to Frank, a shadow of doubt weighed on him. The mask of cool indifference that he usually wore in the face of pain was long gone, and he struggled to keep his composure. He wanted Evie by his side, and he couldn’t accept that an insignificant dalliance could jeopardize everything. “For God’s sake, Evie. What can I say to make you understand? What do you want from me?” Tommy pleaded, his voice becoming louder with every word. 

How dare he raise his voice to her? How dare he try to touch her with those hands, which only moments ago were holding and soothing his pregnant secretary? Her breathing became erratic and she shivered as she tried to shake thoughts of Tommy and Lizzie from her brain. How could he give her his body and his love only to take it away? Something inside of her shifted, and her despair started to be replaced by something hard and cold. She thought of all of the times that he had whispered, “I love you,” against her skin while he was inside of her, and she wondered if he said the same thing to Lizzie. Her eyes finally snapped up to meet his, and with all the backbone she could muster, she answered, “Not a damn thing.”

Tommy looked stricken, and he swallowed hard. He had seen the fire in her temper, he had dealt with her rages, but the chill that echoed in her voice as she spoke those four words caused him more worry than any of her madness.

She swung her legs over the side of his bed and her feet hit the floor. Her heels, stockings, dress, and lingerie lay strewn all about the room, but she did not stop to pick up any of it. With her head held high and her shoulders thrown back, she walked out of his bedroom. Evie did not know what she was going to do, but she couldn’t stand to remain another minute in Tommy’s house- not with Lizzie’s voice still ringing in her ears and threatening to crush her soul. He trailed behind her, calling after her as she made her way down the stairs and through his large sitting room. “Dammit, it was only once! It was before I even knew you!” 

She could hear his footsteps growing nearer as she wove through the furniture, passing the wingback chairs, the Chippendale table, and the settee. “That morning that I first saw you, when you were leaning out the window to catch your breath…I was hungover, remember? That’s why. It happened the day before. That’s why I was hungover. I knew it was a mistake the second we were through and I got drunk.”

Evie winced at the memory of that morning when a bleary-eyed Tommy greeted her while leaning in the doorway in his boxer shorts. It was one of her favorite mental images of Tommy, and now it was tainted with the thought that just hours before he had been inside of Lizzie. She walked faster and was headed towards daylight when he caught up with her. He stepped in front of her and blocked the French doors which led into the back garden, “Evie, you’re not dressed.” 

She cocked an eyebrow and scowled at him, thinking, “There’s more than one way to skin a cat.” Evie spun on her heel and headed toward the kitchen, which was bustling with the activity of the staff preparing the evening meal. “No,” Tommy warned, “I know that you are hurt and angry, but having the entire staff see this is not what you want.”

“Then let me go.” Again, she headed for the French doors, and this time Tommy stood aside seething with frustration. He watched her bare feet pad across the grass and onto the gravel which led to the coach house. She was his own version of Lady Godiva clad only in a crisp white shirt with single needle tailoring. 

 

***

She wanted to leave the estate, but she couldn’t. Tommy made sure of that. All of the blinders were on strict orders not to take her off of the premises. Even if she could have hired a car into town, all of the train stations and ports were heavily policed, and she was on the most wanted list thanks to Foyle. Furthermore, if she left, she would only end up being miserable and heartsick in a different location. So she stayed hidden within the confines of the coach house or down at the Lee’s encampment. 

As for his part in the aftermath of that cruel afternoon, Tommy tried to stay busy working on the plot against Foyle and tending to his myriad business interests but was a struggle for him to stay away from Evie. On the night that she left him, he paced outside the coach house shouting at the windows and pleading his case. He had drunk enough courage to come to her door and he made a spectacle of himself, banging on it and alternately begging and demanding that she let him inside. It turned Evie inside out, but she refused him. Johnny Dogs had called Arthur to come over and talk sense to Tommy. “You’d better come down here and take care of your boy. I’ve not seen him this het up over woman since before the war. He’s shoutin’ the walls down, and he don’t care who hears it.”

After that night, Tommy restrained himself. He spent his nights drinking and staring at the dim lights that filtered through her curtains. One night he asked Polly why Evie wouldn’t see him, and Polly pulled no punches in her answer. “She’s jealous, you twat!”

Tommy appealed to Pol’s sense of logic, reasoning that his liaison with Lizzie had happened before he and Evie had even started talking. Polly elaborated, “It doesn’t matter to her. She has to live with the possibility of your baby growing in another woman’s belly. Whether you put it there before you started a relationship with her is immaterial in the face of that. It doesn’t have to make sense, and it’s naught to do with logic! A woman’s heart is a mystery as deep as the ocean.”

“What can I do Pol? Will you talk to her?” Tommy was a mess. He was behaving like a young pup, not a man of 30+ years. Evie had given him a taste of happiness, and he couldn’t bear to have it torn away. 

“When will Lizzie know?” Polly asked.

Tommy heavily sighed, “Within the week.” 

“Good. I know that you are not a praying man, but I will pray that the baby is Frank’s. When you get the news that the baby is not yours, for I believe that it is not, you may stand a chance with Evie. Until then, no more howling at the moon. Stop harassing the girl.” Polly stood to go, and Tommy pleadingly looked up at her with bloodshot eyes. “Oh, alright, Tom. I’ll go see her tomorrow on your behalf, but I make no promises as to the outcome. Where is she?”

“I haven’t seen her lights tonight, so she’s probably down the Lee’s camp. She’s got a still down there, and she’s hanging around with Goldie Lee.”

***

Evie sat beside the fire with Goldie Lee, a wise and kind woman who had known Tommy since he was only a boy. Goldie knew about Tommy’s predicament, and although she sympathized with him she also understood Evie’s jealousy and pain. “I know that you can’t stand the thought of it, but try to put yourself in his shoes. He didn’t know ye then.”

Evie nursed a jar of clear spirits, moonshine that she had distilled herself. It was not as smooth as her daddy’s, but it was her first batch without his help. “But it’s not just the jealousy that’s got me,” Evie slurred, “He knew good and well that Lizzie was with Frank…I mean, WITH Frank, and he still fucked her. That’s just trashy. They both trashy.” Evie lifted her chin and cut her eyes as she spoke as if to note that she was above such behavior. 

Goldie laughed, “If you are looking to Thomas Shelby for a model of character I’m afraid you’ll always be disappointed, but let me ask you this, has he been true to you?”

Evie had to admit that he had not so much as looked at another woman since they began seeing each other. “Yes, but…”

“But nothing. Isn’t he making ready to go toe to toe with Winston Churchill to keep you out of jail? Isn’t he plotting to kill a man who hurt you?” 

“Yes,” Evie whispered with tears shining in her eyes.

“Don’t be so hard on him, girl. And you need to lay off of that shine, it’s no good for your mood. I’ll make you a cuppa chamomile with some honey and some saffron. Things will look better in the morning.” 

Evie drank the tea to humor Goldie, but as she settled down into a faded soft quilt to sleep she doubted that the morning would bring anything but more hopelessness and despondency.


	12. The Wilderness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy and Evie are still sad, drunk, and poorly. Tommy gets a visit and a phone call that force him to take action.

Polly was true to her word. She traveled to the Lee camp at the end of Tommy’s property early in the morning to speak with Evangeline. When she arrived, Polly wistfully observed the busy morning routines of the camp. Some children squealed and played while others busied themselves picking up sticks for kindling. Women sat out on the steps of their vardos chatting, sipping tea, and planning the events of the day. Most of the men were off the property, working and trading, but a few stood in close groups talking. Polly envied the simplicity of camp life, and she looked back at the time that she spent traveling with fondness. 

Goldie Lee greeted her warmly. She knew that Polly had probably come on Tommy’s behalf, and so she told Polly about Evie’s stubbornness. “She’s got a will of iron, that one. I have talked to the gal ‘till I’m blue in the face. She’s having none of it. She’s miserable and drinking far too much, but she won’t let go of her pride and go to him.”

Polly lit a cigarette and shook her head. “I thought as much, but I promised him that I’d come, so here I am on a fool’s errand. You know he is in the same shape. I haven’t seen him sober in days, even at work. I could flog Lizzie for causing all this strife before she even knows if it is Tommy’s child.” She looked around the campsite again, her eyes searching for Evangeline. “Where is she?”

“Follow me.” 

Goldie walked Polly over to a quiet corner of the camp where Evie lay motionless beside the smoldering embers of the previous night’s fire. She was wrapped in a thick blanket and fairly reeked of alcohol. Polly kicked one of Evie’s boots in an attempt to wake her up. When that didn’t rouse sleeping beauty, Polly looked around with quickly shifting eyes and muttered, “For Christ’s sake, Evie. Wake the fook up.” 

Polly nudged Evie’s shoulder with the toe of her shoe and finally got a rise out of the girl. Evangeline opened one bleary eye and tried her best to focus on the shapeless figures that hovered above her. Her mouth was dry and tasted disgusting, her head was wracked with blistering pain, and her joints ached from sleeping on the ground. She moaned and closed her eye. Polly bent down to shake her while shouting, “Evangeline Coles, I am not leaving until you speak with me about Tommy. Do you hear me? Not. Leaving.”

Evie groaned and opened both of her eyes a crack. She smacked her lips and croaked in a slow drawl, “May I please have some cool water?”

The two frowning women who hovered over her exchanged a look of exasperation. When Evie cleared her throat and retched, Goldie brought water and left Polly and Evie to it. Evie raised the tin cup to her lips and carefully sipped. Her stomach roiled so she was loath to add anything to it, even as thirsty as she was. “Polly,” she croaked, “You can save your breath. Goldie has already tried to talk me into forgiving him.” 

Polly’s dark eyes grew wide. “Forgive him for what, exactly? Hmmm? For having a life before you?” she snapped. “He did not set out for this to happen, you know. You are letting your pride convince you that he has wronged you when that’s not the case.”

Evie looked down at her shaking hands as she held the cup back up to her lips. Tears formed in her eyes and she silently cursed herself for breaking down in front of Polly. She blinked her eyes rapidly in an attempt to stem the tide that she could feel coming. “I can’t be just another notch on his bedpost. This whole thing with Lizzie…” her voice faltered and she paused to pull herself together, “I appreciate everything that he has done for me and what he is doing for me, but I can’t give my heart to him if he is just going to break it.” 

“What makes you think that he will break it?” Polly asked. “I know him better than anyone, hell, I know him better than he knows himself. He loves you, and he is suffering without you. You are suffering without him! Look at yourself, and Christ, he is the same way. You both can’t go on drunk as a pair of skunks, moping and miserable. Go home and talk to Tommy.”

“What about Lizzie?” Evie whispered, almost afraid to know the answer.

Polly relaxed a bit, sensing a shift in Evangeline’s tone. “She should know within a couple of days. But, whatever she finds out, nothing will change the way he feels about you. Evangeline, he needs you.”

***

Evie went back to the coach house to bathe and sleep off her hangover. Tommy watched with his heart in his throat as she walked across the field. It took every ounce of control that he had not to meet her at the gate. He wanted to go to her and give her a thousand reasons to believe in him. Instead, he watched from the French doors that she walked out of days ago. Days ago. For him, it felt like a lifetime had passed. Before she went inside, she looked over her shoulder toward the manor house and Tommy saw a mirror image of his own pain. Her bloodshot eyes were ringed with dark circles and her face was drawn with sadness. His chest ached with longing for her, and his mind was nearly numb with exhaustion. He had been up all night working on keeping her safe.

Detective Moss had paid a late night visit to Tommy. His higher-ups had received a tip that Evangeline Coles had found employment in a household near Birmingham, and they had contacted his department. _They’ve asked us to keep vigilant_ , Moss had said. Tommy thanked him for his trouble and gave him his customary payment. Tommy could rely on the Birmingham police for protection, but their power was limited by Churchill’s interest in this case. In light of this revelation, Tommy had abandoned his plan of convincing Churchill that Foyle was an embarrassment to the crown and arranging a government sanctioned assassination. Instead, he had made contact with Capone and put in an order to dispatch Evie’s accuser immediately. Capone agreed to send a soldier to rid the world of Martin Foyle and make it look like a robbery gone wrong. With Foyle dead, it would be easier to make Evie’s charges disappear. There was no need to trouble her with the details of Foyle’s murder until it was done. 

Tommy knew that Evie would not leave the estate. She wasn’t foolish enough to risk being found and arrested, no matter how angry she was at him. Still, he worried. He had spun a million scenarios about how he could get her to return to him, but he couldn’t fix what he couldn’t understand. She was lost in the wilderness of her own heart, and he could do nothing to save her. Evie had to have known that he was not a monk when they met, and her extreme reaction to the possibility of his fathering a child before he even met her drove him mad. He had to wonder if she could handle his world. After all, she was young and accustomed to a completely different way of life. But Tommy loved her with all that he was, and there was no other way but to be with her.

 

The phone in Tommy’s study rang, and he quickly moved to answer it. A gruff voice barked out, “Shelby, is that you?”

The voice was unmistakable. It was Winston Churchill. 

“Yes, Mr. Churchill, to what do I owe the honor?”

Churchill chortled and continued, “I believe we have a great matter to discuss. The damnedest thing, I have it on good authority that you are harboring a fugitive.”

“I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.”

“Oh, but I’m sure that you do. Come to London tomorrow morning. I’ll see you in my office for luncheon.”

Churchill hung up the phone before Tommy could get any additional information out of him. He sat for a full minute holding the dead phone receiver while his mind raced and his stomach tied itself in knots. The midafternoon sun streamed in through the sheer curtains that framed his windows, and he could hear the cawing of ravens in the fields beyond the garden. The juxtaposition of the serene country afternoon and the chilling phone call that he had just received made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. He had to tell Evie about this dangerous turn of events. She might not want to speak to him, but she would have to listen. 

Tommy washed his face and put on a fresh shirt. Evangeline would have to put aside any jealousy, any animosity that she harbored for him if they were to survive the battle to come. He left his sleeve garters on his dressing table and rolled his sleeves up revealing his sinewy scarred arms. He had on simple woolen trousers and a scuffed pair of work boots. He looked more like a stable boy than a Shelby, but he wanted to go to her without armor or artifice.

Evie had taken a scalding hot bath to eviscerate the smoky, alcoholic stench from her skin and crawled into bed. Her resistance was wearing down. Polly and Goldie were right; she and Tommy belonged together, and she would have to find a way to get over her jealousy and fear. As she drifted in and out of sleep she listened to the ravens calling to each other and thought of the crows in the cornfields back home. Her window was open and a crisp breeze painted her skin with chillbumps. She snuggled lower into her bed and pulled a patchwork quilt, the one that was pieced together from her father’s old flannel shirts, close around her chin. Evie craved escape from the heartbreaking situation that she was caught in, and since her body couldn’t take another drop of alcohol sleep was the next best thing. For a moment, the throbbing ache within her chest was stilled and she felt at peace. 

She vaguely recognized the sound of boots crunching up the gravel path that led to the coach house and inwardly groaned. She just wanted, no, needed to have sleep. She missed his brooding silences and his raspy whispers, and her heart knew that she would soon fall back into his arms, but she was in no shape to see Tommy now.  
_Tap, tap, tap_.  
Maybe if I ignore him, he will go away.  
_Tap, tap, tap_.  
“Evie, I know that you don’t want me to be here, but something’s happened. I have to see you.”  
_Shit, shit, shit. I can’t do this right now_.  
Despite her mixed emotions, hearing his voice calling her name made her tingle from her head to her feet. Despite her bullheadedness, she couldn’t deny the longing ache that seeped into her bones at the sound of his plea: _I need to see you_.

Evie cursed her weakness as her bare feet gingerly hit the floor, and she wrapped herself in the quilt from her bed. She tiptoed to the door and leaned against the wall, listening for Tommy’s next words.

“Evie, can you hear me?” Tommy spoke in a low husky voice.

“Yeah, Tommy. I’m here.” She closed her eyes and imagined the slight stubble on his jawline, his crystalline eyes...

“You have to let me in. I got a call today…Winston Churchill. He wants me to meet with him tomorrow. Evie, love, he knows about us.”


	13. Reunited

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Of course, Tommy and Evie reunite. Evangeline tries Thomas Shelby's Patented Hangover Cure (from the makers of Thomas Shelby's Revolution Stoppers). Tommy has a plan (Oh, Fuck!)

Tommy stood with his forehead against the red door of the coach house. He kicked it with his boot and wearily cursed under his breath, “For fooks sake, just open up.”

He could have broken the door down easily, but he wanted to give her the chance to open up for him, to let him back into her place of her own volition. Even as his heart was beating out of his chest for fear of losing her to the cops and frustration with her stubbornness, he held back. He drew a great breath in through his nose and blew it out through his clenched teeth as he rolled his forehead from side to side on the peeling paint. “We have to get you out of here. You aren’t safe anymore,” he spoke, loudly enough for her to hear but low enough to show that he was worried that someone nearby could be listening.

_Get me out of here?_ Evie’s mood snapped, and she jerked the door open, cursing at Tommy and sending him off balance. He stumbled a step forward and grabbed onto her. “Fooking ‘ell! Evie, this is no time for one of your tantrums!”

“Don’t start with me, Tommy Shelby. I’ll just bet you’d love to get me out of here,” she growled as she roughly pushed him away. Tears stung her already swollen eyes, and she grimaced with the pain that throbbed behind them. She clutched her quilt to her shoulder to cover her thin chemise; he didn’t deserve to see her like that anymore. Her muddled mind thought poisonously, _How convenient for him to send me away. How soon he forgets about his declarations of love when I’m not sharing his bed. He probably plans on moving his pregnant secretary into the coach house so that she can set up housekeeping until the baby comes._ She was about to open her mouth and give voice to her thoughts when Tommy stepped into the sunlight that streamed through her west facing window. Her empty stomach gave a lurch as she read Tommy’s face and realized the truth. His pale blue eyes showed a frightening intensity that she had never seen before. There was no trace of seduction or pride. He wasn’t playing games, and this was not a ruse to make her open the door to him. Churchill really knew, and Tommy was scared. The storm inside her broke and she began to weep.

Tommy opened his arms and she went to him. Just like that, suspicion and anger fell away from Evie, and she melted into the warmth of his body. He was there to save her, even after all of her harsh words and refusals to see him, he was there. Tommy wasn’t going to turn her out of his home and out of his life, he was going to do everything under his power to save her. The past, Lizzie, the baby, her pride- none of that meant a thing compared to her love for him. Polly and Goldie were right. How could she have been so stupid? 

She buried her face into the crook of his neck and breathed his scent. His shoulders were solid and strong and her hands grasped them as she pressed herself deeper into his embrace. She would have pressed herself into his very soul if that were possible. “I…I’m sorry,” she sighed into the skin just below his ear.

“Shhhh, it’s alright, Love,” Tommy whispered into the top of her head. He was relieved, truth be known. He imagined that Evie was going to fight him all the way on this: demanding details, timelines, and proof. He recalled a story that she told him that ended with her father telling her that she would “argue with a fencepost,” but there was no sign of that Evie as she trembled in his arms. She was just his sweet Evangeline, and his heart broke with every sob that wracked her body. She wasn’t used to the life of a criminal, of being hunted down like a dog so very far from home. He hung his head in understanding that their relationship was her safe harbor, and even that had been threatened by Lizzie’s admission. Tommy was fiercely determined; he would not break her heart, and he would not let Churchill’s men find her. 

Her soft breath on his neck and the way the warmth of her body seeped into his bones felt like the answers to all their problems. One of his arms circled her waist and pulled her hips to his, while his other hand caressed the back of her neck and tangled itself in the still-damp waves of her hair. The quilt that Evie had clutched to her body only moments earlier fell to her waist and was only held there by Tommy’s arm. He let it fall to the floor behind her and ran his hand along her silk-clad hips and backside, lowly moaning when she arched her back in response. He knew where this was headed… where he prayed that their reunion would lead. Even though he knew that they probably shouldn’t go there without first discussing the things which had led to their separation, he felt powerless to stop what was coming. Her hands slid from his shoulders to his chest, then to his biceps. His lips found hers as she grasped at his back, pulling his shirttail out and sliding her hands underneath to feel his smooth, hot skin. He moved both hands to cup her ass as he wordlessly coaxed her in the direction of her bed.

She made quick work of the buttons on his shirt and flung it away while his mouth whispered unspeakable things in her ear. Goosebumps sprang upon her skin as he peeled her chemise down past her hips, legs, and finally past her feet, freeing her from its confines. He sat on his heels and watched her as she lay in the dim glow of the afternoon light, chest heaving with every breath, shivering and hungry for his touch. Even though she was a little worse for wear, all Tommy could see was the radiant beauty of her feelings for him. Tommy unbuttoned his trousers and shoved them down while Evie clawed at his undershirt, pushing it over his head. Sitting naked between her legs, he caressed her thighs and leaned down to wetly kiss her stomach. With his fingers, he traced a path from her belly button down to her core. She was slick and ready for him and moaned his name in the way that only she could.

Tommy could wait no longer. He roughly pulled her up to him, telegraphing his needs as she locked her legs around his back. Evie gasped as he pushed into her, heavy and hard with need. They fell into a familiar rhythm as he grazed her neck with his teeth and groaned her name. He looked up at her through his lashes and saw her deep brown eyes, still wet with tears, gazing down at him as if he were her whole universe. He grasped her face in both hands and kissed her deep and long, a kiss that promised his forever and all of his eternity to her. He released her with a look that said that he would never leave her, no matter what trials may come. As she leaned back her hair tumbled cool and silky down her shoulder blades, and he clutched at it as he moved her up and down on his lap. He wound it around his hand and pulled her head backward exposing her breasts which he greedily licked and sucked. Tommy strained to maintain control as she rode him, her back arched and her eyes closed in ecstasy. 

Evie saw stars when she came, crying Tommy’s name out and collapsing on his shoulder in a mess of weeping. He continued to drive into her mercilessly until he found his release, filling her and spilling out onto his lap. As he came down, he stroked her back and rocked her chanting over and over, “I’m here, Evie. Let it all out, Love. It’s alright.” 

Eventually, she became calmer, and he gently moved so that they were lying side by side. She lay her head on his chest and curled into him. “What are we gonna do?” she whispered, “I don’t want to leave you, baby.” 

“I have a plan,” Tommy softly replied.


	14. Diamonds and Coal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has everything: flashbacks, ginseng, snotty in-laws, diamonds, Winston Churchill, and spies! The password is "Moral Ambiguity!"

“Alright, girl, what d’ya call this one?” 

“Slate.”

“That’s right. And this one?”

“Mica, it sparkles like fish scales.”

Evie and her daddy were walking in the mountains looking for ginseng. Every fall they dug for the valuable roots, then dried them and sold them for Christmas money. Since they weren’t having much luck, Evie’s daddy was using the outing as an impromptu geology lesson. 

Evie scampered up the path ahead of her father, keeping her eyes on the ground. She came across a limestone outcrop that shimmered with quartz. She spotted a crystal that had a massive streak of green running through it. “Daddy! Daddy! Look at this one!”

“Evie, honey, that’s quartz,” he turned the rock and held it up to the light, “but it’s loaded up with emerald.” He eyed the stone and smiled. “I believe you may have found our Christmas money.” Evie’s dad picked her up and swung her around. 

 

Evie had dozed off in Tommy’s arms after they made love. For some reason, she dreamt of the time that she and her father found a small vein of emeralds in the mountains near her home. The emeralds didn’t bring much money, just enough to buy Christmas presents and to put a little by to get through the winter, but the memory was a sweet one and she woke up from her nap with a smile on her face.

Tommy stroked her hair as he watched her wake up. “Is that smile for me?”

Evie yawned and stretched her arms over her head before she drowsily replied, “I was just thinkin’”

“What are you thinkin’ about, Love?”

She told him the story about hunting ginseng with her father, and how she unexpectedly ended up finding emeralds instead. As she spoke, she saw a strange sort of awe flash in Tommy’s eyes.

“What’s wrong, Tom?” 

“Nothing, I was just thinking about how much you must miss your daddy.”

“I miss them all. Terribly. I don’t know when I will ever get to go back home to see them.”

“Someday you will, Love. I will make sure of it.” 

“I want you to come too. They’ll want to meet the man who stole my heart.” When Evie smiled up at him, he could see the pure, sweet little girl that she had once been, and his heart ached with pride.

Night fell around them as they lay in Evie’s bed making plans. Tommy was to leave on the early train to London to meet with Churchill, and Evie was going to stay at Arthur and Linda’s place. “If the coppers come looking for you they will hit the Lees, Small Heath, Polly’s- Arthur’s farm is the last place they’ll look, and by then we’ll have plenty of warning.” Tommy’s eyes searched the ceiling as he thought, “The thing is, I don’t think that they will come for you. If Churchill wanted you, he’d already have you.”

Evie sat up on her elbow with her chin cradled in the palm of her hand. She traced Tommy’s rising sun tattoo with her fingertips and mused, “I thought about that too. He knows I’m here, why not just collect me and be done with it? I’m a bargaining chip for something that he wants you to do, Honey. He don’t give a damn about what I did to Foyle.”

Tommy loved that Evie had the knack for seeing motives. She was nobody’s fool, and she would have stay sharp to survive life with him. His heart suddenly flooded with affection for her, and he pulled her into a quick kiss. “That could work out well for us, depending on what he has in mind for me.”

“Mmmmm,” Evie hummed as she sank into another kiss, closing her eyes and trying to shut her busy brain off. It didn’t work. She pulled away from his lips and ran her fingers through his hair, “Do you think this is about an upcoming vote or do you think he wants you to get your hands dirty?”

He cocked an eyebrow and smiled, “I hope that he needs a bit of dirty work done. That’s easy compared to politics.”

Evie giggled and buried her head into Tommy’s chest saying, “I’m not so sure that I want you out there doing his dirty deeds. It’s awfully romantic to play the part of the mobster’s gal, but I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to you.” Her laughter abruptly stopped and she lifted her head. “Honey, I mean it. I know that you are ‘Tommy Shelby’ and all, but I need you.”

His sky blue eyes turned serious and held her in his gaze. “Ay, I’m not going anywhere. Whatever Churchill wants, I will make sure that it works out to our advantage. I have a few favors that I can call in, and I’m sure that Capone’s hit will not be a problem. Like you said, if he gave a damn about Foyle, you would already be in prison.” Tommy moved to nuzzle Evie’s neck and nibble on her earlobe, eliciting a heavy sigh from her throat. “But, I still want to keep you at Arthur’s until I know what Churchill is after.”

***

Linda Shelby was not overjoyed at the prospect of hiding Tommy’s new girlfriend. She rattled around in the kitchen, making her disapproval known as she made breakfast for Arthur and Billy. “What do we even know about this woman, Arthur?” she called from behind the swinging door that led into the dining room.

Arthur came through the door and sidled up behind her at the sink. “Linda, give her a chance. You’ll like her. She’s American, you know. I’ll bet she can tell you all about those missions that you are always on about.”

Linda snorted and rolled her eyes, “I seriously doubt that she knows anything about missions. And I still don’t see why we have to let Tommy’s latest plaything into our home. And while hiding from the police! It’s not fair to us.”

Arthur spun her around and held her by the shoulders. He backed her up against the sink and brought his face close to hers. “Don’t forget all that Tommy has done for us. If it weren’t for him I would have bled out with that Italian’s wire around my throat. If it weren’t for him, we would not have all of this.” He gestured all around the house with his eyes. “She is a good girl, and she is good for Tommy. Now, I want you to make her feel welcome.”

Linda cut her pale green eyes at him. “If you say so, Arthur, I will. I’m sure you know what’s best.”

“I do, and I mean it. She has worked a change in Tommy. He is giving up his bad habits, and I think she makes him want to be a better man. Kind of like you did for me.” 

Linda turned back around to face the window, and Arthur pointed out Tommy’s car in the drive. “See now, they’re here.” 

***

Tommy and Evie sat in Arthur’s driveway trying to delay the inevitable. They had no way of knowing how this day would end or when they would see each other again. Tommy rubbed his thumb over the knuckles of Evie’s left hand while she tried to hide her tear filled eyes. 

“I’m sorry, baby. I promised myself that I would be strong, but I don’t want to be apart from you,” she whispered, her warm breath leaving wisps of fog in the chilly air of the morning.

Tommy was quiet. He had been nearly silent on the car ride, and Evie could tell that he was mentally preparing for the task that lay before him. Tommy was slipping into soldier mode, that calculating, detached state of mind that allowed him to do things that would horrify an average man. But before the last vestiges of her Tommy disappeared under the murky waters of moral ambiguity, he had something for her. 

He shifted in his seat and turned to face her, saying, “I know that we have only been together for a short time, and we have spent the last week at odds, but I need you to know how much I love you.”

“I love you too, Tommy,” she sniffled, blinking back tears, her eyes searching the angles of his face. Evie thought that he seemed a bit off, but she chalked it up to the anticipation of his meeting with Churchill.

Tommy slid his hand inside his jacket and pulled a small box out of the inner pocket. Evie had intently focused on his eyes and didn’t realize what he was about to do, but she began to get the picture when he let her left hand go to open the box. Tommy cleared his throat and began, “I know that this is not the ideal circumstance for a proposal, but I want you to be mine. Forever.”

When Evie looked down at his hands, she gasped, for in a midnight blue velvet box sat the most beautiful ring she’d ever seen. Glimmering in the dim morning light was a diamond flanked by two emeralds on a white gold band. 

Evie stammered, “Oh, God, Honey. How did you know?”

“I didn’t. It’s a sign, though. We are meant to be together.” Tommy picked up her trembling left hand and guided the ring onto her finger. He brought her hand up to his mouth and kissed it as if he were sealing the ring in its rightful place. “When this is all over, Love, I want to make you my wife. Until then, I want everyone to know that you belong to me.”

Evangeline’s lips could hardly form a reply, but she finally managed to whisper, “Yes, Tommy. I’ll be yours forever, and you will be mine… no matter what.” 

Even as promises were made, the specter of Lizzie’s pregnancy hung over them both. Afraid to break the spell of being back together, they had not discussed it, but Tommy’s promise and the three carats on her left hand were meant to show her that even if the baby was his, he would not leave. Just how he would handle it was unknown.

***

Tommy sat across from Winston Churchill who was slurping away at a cup of tea and dusting the remaining crumbs of a cheese sandwich from his shirt. “Are you sure I can’t get you anything? It would be no trouble at all.”

“No, thank you. I ate on the train.” Tommy was ready to get down to business. The sooner he sussed out what Churchill was really after, the sooner he could leverage his compliance as a bargaining chip for Evie’s freedom. He stared at the man sitting across from him, hardly blinking.

Churchill cocked his head to the side and said, “I’ll get to the point then. It has come to my attention that Evangeline Coles, fugitive from the law, has been staying on your estate for some time now. It would appear that you have grown quite fond of her. Were you aware that Miss Coles is wanted for GBH and the attempted murder of Martin Foyle?”

Tommy remained still and expressionless. He spoke with an even and unemotional tone. “Miss Coles has assured me that the injuries inflicted on Mr. Foyle were purely done in self-defense. She was a respectable student of Mr. Foyle’s father, and the younger Mr. Foyle attacked her. I have checked into his background and have found her story to be consistent with his established pattern of behavior. I can bring forth several witnesses from Manchester who will attest to his proclivity for abusing women.” 

Churchill appeared shaken, so Tommy pushed on, “I believe, Mr. Churchill, that if you wanted Evangeline Coles to stand trial you would have already had her arrested. Why have you really brought me here?” 

The old man leaned up in his seat and coughed before he began talking. “Labour wants the coal companies to become nationalized. The conservative party wants to sever ties with the Soviet Union.” Churchill spread his hands wide, palms up. “I believe that we can come to an agreement that will satisfy all parties. You make sure the vote to end diplomatic relations with the Soviets turns out favorably for the conservative party and I will see to it that the case against your girl is dropped, and you will get your nationalized coal in October.”

Tommy furrowed his brow as he lit a cigarette. “And the operatives who are still in the Soviet Union? We won’t have time to get them out of there.” 

“We will make every effort to provide them safe passage, but… Well, you know how these things are.” Churchill steepled his fingers and sat back in his chair, leaving Tommy to decide who should live and who should die. But, he really had no choice.

Tommy swallowed hard and narrowed his eyes at Churchill. What he asked of him was morally reprehensible. If the vote moved forward, as Churchill desired, without allowing time to remove British agents, they would surely be rounded up and executed. They were spies, and the British public would never know; this fact emboldened Churchill but did very little to assuage Tommy’s guilt. Tommy had taken many lives during his time as the leader of the Peaky Blinders, and even more as a soldier in France, but this was different. Tommy had to switch off his burgeoning conscience and make a call that would send roughly twenty men to hell. In a matter of seconds, the decision was made and Tommy’s eyes returned to their default setting, as placid and cold as a bottomless lake.

He pointed at Churchill and spoke. “I will direct my voting bloc to sever ties with underground Soviet agitators, and I can assure you that your diplomatic act will pass. In return, I need proof that the case against Evangeline Coles will be dropped and the nationalization effort will pass as well.”

With a wave of his hand and a smile, Churchill agreed. “Very well, I will draft a letter in support of nationalization of the coal mines.”

Tommy stared him down and continued in an even tone as if they were discussing the weather. “And Martin Foyle will be dispatched at a place and time of my choosing.” Tommy paused to take a drag from his cigarette and blow the smoke out as he finished his thought, “Well, you know how these things are.”

“Still a gangster at heart, I see,” Churchill mumbled, a bit uneasily. But he didn’t refuse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I googled the shit out of 1927 British politics to write this chapter. Please forgive and overlook any mistakes.


	15. Women's Intuition

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy does lots of Tommying, Evie and Linda bond over whiskey and sugar, and Lizzie gets a surprise visit!

Tommy’s reptilian stare surveyed the streets of Westminster as the cab moved toward his hotel. Nameless, faceless passers-by all seemed to blur into the same person with the same sensible suit and overcoat and the same respectable bowler hat. Any of them could be living out their last day on earth, he thought. Just a few hours before, Tommy had agreed to lead a vote that would send roughly twenty nameless, faceless men to meet their maker. Men who were doing their duty for the King. Churchill had made the decision to sacrifice these agents of the crown, but, once again, he had made Tommy the trigger man. Tommy had shut off all emotion and let the nihilistic, twisted part of his mind take control; it was the only way he that could stomach his actions. When he was in this frame of mind, nothing and no one felt safe, which was why he was glad to be miles away from Evie and Charlie, the two people whom he loved most in this world.

At the hotel, Tommy shed his respectable hat and overcoat and ordered a bottle of whiskey. He walked the suite, moving like a caged panther, checking every corner while he waited for its arrival. He stalked past the windows, then circled back to close the heavy drapes. When the whiskey was delivered he made a considerable dent in its contents, filling and refilling his glass. He drank perfunctorily and mechanically. There was a psychic void created when he disappeared into his soldier's mind, and alcohol helped to fill the emptiness. All of this was necessary to complete his mission. Get the votes. Deal with Foyle. Keep Evie out of jail. He shuddered to think what would happen to her behind bars now that she was known to be his lover.

Throughout the evening, he made phone calls to set up appointments with members of his party. He moved down the list with impressive rapidity, making mention of favors owed and dropping key names when necessary. There was no room for half measures. He was charged with convincing a bunch of natural born skeptics that if they voted to sever diplomatic ties with Russia, then they would get nationalization of the coal mines. It was no small feat to sell the idea to a group of men who were diametrically opposed to trusting conservatives, and it seemed that he would be tied up in London for at least a week meeting with those who needed additional assurances. Tommy leaned back in his chair, faced the ceiling, and sighed. He was right when he told Evie that politics was harder than dirty work.

The dirty work? Well, that was handled with one phone call before Tommy left Westminster. Luckily for Tommy, the British middle class were as predictable as rain in October. He already knew that Foyle would be arriving at his London office the next morning, would put in a full day’s work, and would take supper at his club. As per usual, he would have his man at the club arrange for an expensive “female companion” to meet him at his Mayfair address a bit before midnight. Only this time, the man at the club would be working under Tommy’s orders, and the female companion would be an associate of Capone’s. Tommy smirked as he thought about the last thing that Martin Foyle would see: the cruel smile of a skilled Sicilian assassin cutting his throat. To be killed by a ruthless woman seemed a fitting end for a pig like Foyle.

His thoughts drifted to Evangeline, and as much as he tried to keep his emotions in check, thoughts of her grew like ivy and crept over the walls in his mind. He wondered how she would react if she knew about the Russian plan. Would she understand the games that he played with people’s lives? Tommy had made a fortune playing the odds where life and death were concerned, but now things were different. He had dealt with regrets. He had felt the weight of guilt before. But until now, he had never wondered or cared about how another might judge him. If he were a praying man he would have asked God to keep Evie from being repulsed by him and the blood on his hands, but he had lost his religion long ago. Tommy rubbed at his forehead and closed his eyes. I hope she will understand. He imagined what she would be doing at that moment. She’s probably curled up beside the fire, sipping a cup of tea. His eyes took on a faraway look as he pictured her, and his whole body seemed to unwind.   
***

The fire crackled and popped as Linda moved the embers around with a poker, and Evie sat in an easy chair with her feet tucked up beside her. Arthur had long since taken Billy upstairs to bed, leaving the two ladies to get better acquainted with each other. An uneasy silence had developed when he left the room, and neither of them seemed to know what to say. Evie had made a couple of attempts at small talk only to be shut down by Linda. So now, she stared at the fire sipping at her tea and wondering what Tommy was doing at that very moment. She couldn’t help but sigh. She longed to have his strong arms around her and to smell the faint whiskey and tobacco on his skin. Looking down at the diamond and emeralds on her left hand, she felt a warmth that had nothing to do with the fire.

Linda returned to her seat, and the two women sat silently staring at the flames. She was not happy that Evie had been dropped on their doorstep. Nor was she happy about the way that Arthur was expected to jump whenever Tommy called. Always a good soldier, he followed his brother’s orders despite her protestations. The fact that Tommy had given Evie a massive engagement ring did nothing to stir sisterly affection in Linda. His devotion to Evie was impressive, but the paternity of Lizzie’s child was still up in the air. Linda thought Evie was foolish for accepting Tommy’s proposal before that matter was settled… and she was hiding from the police! It seemed like bad luck had a way of finding that girl, and Linda wanted no part of it. 

Linda glanced in Evie’s direction and saw that she was dreamily gazing at the sparkler on her left hand. The sight of it made Linda roll her eyes so hard that she could see her brain. She had promised Arthur that she would make an effort, so she cast around in her mind for something to say. Everything she thought of sounded incredibly rude: So, I hear that you are wanted for attempted murder. Did you really brain that guy with an andiron? Did you really scalp Katie Kitchens? I hear your father is a bootlegger. Is your sister really Capone’s mistress? Do you think that Lizzie’s baby belongs to Tommy or Frank? She finally settled on a reasonable question. “Did you have any idea that Tommy was going to propose marriage?” 

“No, I didn’t.”

An uncomfortable silence resumed. After a minute, Evie decided to elaborate. “I had thought of it… of marrying Tommy… just daydreams.”

Linda forced a smile. “Had he brought the idea up in conversation before?”

“No. Sometimes he would talk about our future, but he never mentioned marriage. I’m happy that he has made it official.” Evie shifted in her chair and stifled a yawn.

From the nursery, the women could hear Billy begin to cry, and Linda jumped to go check on him. She soon returned with the child on her hip and sighed, “I am so exhausted. He is teething and I’ve not had a decent night’s sleep this week.”

“I’ll take him. I miss the feel of a baby in my arms.” Evie stood and walked over to Linda with her arms outstretched. As much as Linda resented having her in the house, she was glad to take her up on her offer. Evie sat down and Billy nuzzled up to her chest, drooling and chewing on his fist. “Do you have any whiskey?” Evie asked.

“Yes, Arthur keeps some hidden away. Why?”

“My mama used to rub whiskey on our gums to help with teething.”

“Really? Won’t that harm the baby?” Linda asked, wide-eyed.

“Well, no, you don’t use that much. She would also fix a sugar tit for the baby and dip it in a little whiskey. Not too much whiskey, mind you. I could fix one for Billy if you’d like.” Evie said all this while rocking Billy and patting him on his little bottom. 

Linda was a little skeptical, but she was desperate for a night of rest. So she led Evie into the kitchen. “Alright, then. Show us how it’s done.”

Fifteen minutes later, Billy was peacefully asleep on Evie’s shoulder. As she rocked the sleeping baby she hummed an old mountain tune that used to put her baby brother to sleep. She remembered how her father was hardly home at night when little Jack was still living. He and her eldest brothers were busy with the stills and running loads of moonshine to Chattanooga and Murfreesboro. Mama was weak after Jack was born, and didn’t ever seem to completely recover. That left Evie, Laura, and Claudy to take turns rocking the baby when he woke at night. It seemed like a lifetime ago. She buried her nose in Billy’s blond curls; it was funny how baby’s heads all smelled the same. She relished the weight of the child in her arms, his little hand sweating against her neck as he held on to a handful of her hair, and she longed for her own Shelby baby. 

Linda had been dozing in her chair when Evie took Billy to the nursery to put him down. When she returned, Linda was awake and was wearing the first genuine smile Evie had seen since her arrival at the house. “Thank you, Evie. You are a natural with him.”

“You are welcome. I miss getting to take care of babies.”

“Did you have little brothers and sisters?” 

“Brothers, cousins, neighbors…it seems like there were always babies around. I can’t wait to be a mother.” As she said this, Evie’s smile faltered a bit. Her thoughts had turned to Lizzie and the dark cloud hanging over her happiness.

Linda seemed to read her mind and sought to reassure her. “Tommy loves you, Evie. Arthur can’t stop talking about how happy you’ve made him. No matter what happens, I don’t think you need to worry.”

“I have a funny feeling that Lizzie isn’t telling the truth, though. Call it women’s intuition, but something about her story doesn’t add up.”

***

When Evie strolled through the doors of Shelby Company Limited, every head turned in her direction. Not just because she was as beautiful a woman as they had ever seen, but because most of them had heard about her. It wasn’t every day that Tommy Shelby fell in love. They were intrigued, to say the least, and wanted to figure out what made her so special. As Evie’s heels clicked through the corridor, Lizzie came out of Tommy’s office and rushed to intercept her. 

With Tommy in London for the week, Evie decided to take matters into her own hands where Lizzie was concerned. She had told Linda about her plans and sought her help with getting a car to take her into town. Linda was wary of turning Evie loose on Birmingham; Evie was supposed to be hiding from the law. Tommy would be livid, and a catfight at the main office would not be good for legitimate business. Nevertheless, a car was procured and the two women stood toe to toe outside Tommy’s office door.

“Good morning, Lizzie.” Evie smiled, oozing congeniality. “Let’s go into Mr. Shelby’s office and have a chat.” Although she had a smile plastered on her face, Evie’s tone left no doubt that she wouldn’t take no for an answer, and Lizzie obliged. The pair walked into the cavernous room. Sumptuous oriental carpets covered the floors, and mahogany paneling lined the walls. The office was masculine, expensive, and designed to intimidate. Evie stepped behind her fiancé’s massive desk. She poured herself a whiskey, and said, “I would offer you a glass, but…” her voice trailed off as she sat down in Tommy’s chair. 

Lizzie wore contempt on her face as she looked Evie up and down. She scoffed and sat down in front of the desk. Lizzie saw Evie’s power moves for what they were. She sought to show Lizzie how comfortable she was among Tommy’s things, and how she belonged in Tommy’s world. But Lizzie was a fixture in this world and remained unfazed. “Evie, I know what you’re trying to do.”

“Do you? Because I think I know what you are trying to do, too.” She raised her eyebrows and crossed her legs. “How much longer is that Doctor going to take, Lizzie? Shouldn’t you know something by now?”

Lizzie crossed her arms and leaned forward, her eyes like smoldering coals. “I don’t think that’s any of your business. This is between Tommy and me.”

Evangeline coolly held her left hand aloft and watched as Lizzie’s face fell. “Oh, I believe it is my business.” 

It took a moment for Lizzie to regain her composure, and begin to make excuses, “Well, there was a blood test, and…”

“No. Don’t, Lizzie. When the Doctor examined you, what month did he place you at? And don’t try to lie because I’ve already been there to see him,” Evie bluffed.

Lizzie appraised her with a sideways look and sighed. “Four an’ a half months.”

“So there’s no way this baby could be Tommy’s. Why haven’t you told him?”

Lizzie’s gaze moved all around the office as if she were seeing it for the last time and wanted to memorize every detail. “I suppose a part of me wants to hold on to a part of him. Even if it’s only for a little while.” 

Evie stood up and downed the rest of her whiskey. “I can understand why you would feel that way, but you can’t have any part of him, now. I hope that you and Frank are happy together,” she said and walked out of the office.


	16. The Facade

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy has a difficult time keeping up his hardcore Blinder persona when an unexpected visitor comes to London (it's Evie ;P). Foyle is a pain in the ass who just won't die.

“How did she get a fucking car?”

Tommy was livid. Evangeline had been to Birmingham— to Shelby Brothers Limited, no less— and the shock waves from her visit had reached Tommy all the way in London. Lizzie had quit without notice, and the office was in disarray.

Arthur was quiet on the other end of the phone line. He was thinking of the best way to frame his answer. Tommy did not like Linda, and the answer to Tommy’s question would only make matters worse. “She convinced Linda that she needed to go into town on urgent business,” he finally confessed. 

“Do you know… do you have any idea what I am dealing with? Huh, Arthur?”

“No, I guess I don’t, Tom. Because you don’t tell me,” Arthur answered, his voice low, measured, and controlled.

Tommy gripped the base of the phone until his knuckles were white and clenched his jaw. Arthur was right, but with all that Tommy had going on, he couldn’t keep Arthur briefed on every detail. “Besides the trouble that you already know about, yeah? I am involved in making a deal that could very well put us on the wrong side of some dangerous people. And there are other things… You need to find her.”

Tommy was thinking of any Russian sympathizers who may have caught wind of his talks with members of his party. If they could make a big splash in the London papers, they could stop the vote. Tommy envisioned protests, bonfires, they might even pull off an assassination. They could come after him, or any of the other MPs. Publicity of that nature could blow the whole plan. Besides that, he was chilled by the thought that Evie could be arrested and held as collateral until he’d held up his end of the deal with Churchill. It had happened before, and Arthur of all people should have thought of that.

“Arthur,” the line had gone quiet, and Tommy could hear Linda’s voice speaking frantically in the background. “Arthur, are you there? What’s going on?”

“Yeah, Tommy. I’m still here.” Arthur’s tone had turned more worried, bordering on fearful. Whether he was afraid of Tommy’s reaction or for Evie’s safety made no difference. His next words made Tommy’s veins turn to ice. “We’ve just had a message. Evie is on her way to London.” 

***

The platform at Euston Station heaved with arrivals and departures. Smoke and dust hung in the air and clung to the clothes. It was as if the train swept the miasmas of Birmingham down the line as it carried its people into London. Tommy stood alone even as he was surrounded by a sea of humanity. He wore a long black coat and kept his cap pulled low, nearly covering his eyes. He wished not to be seen. 

Tommy was cross with Evie for taking such a risk. He had made it perfectly clear that she should stay at Arthur’s farm until she heard from him, and yet here she was, stepping off of the afternoon train in plain sight. Evangeline had jumped the train to London rather spontaneously, but after her meeting with Lizzie, she needed to see Tommy. The fact that Lizzie would cling so desperately to him, even though his heart and loyalties lay elsewhere, had rekindled Evie’s jealousy. She needed to see him immediately. Tomorrow she would go back to Small Heath, Arthur’s farm, or wherever he told her to stay, but tonight she needed to sleep in his arms.

Tommy was by her side, his arm in hers leading her to a waiting car, in a matter of seconds. She pulled away, startled at first, but then she recognized the smell of his cologne and the faint scent of whiskey that followed him wherever he went. She leaned into his side and smiled, “Tommy, Honey, how did you know I’d be here?”

When she heard no reply, she looked up at his face. They had reached the car by that time and Tommy’s eyes were shifting all over the place. He gently pushed her toward the open door and rasped, “Get in.”

She did as she was told, and as she waited for him to come around to the other side she arranged her skirt and coat. She knew that he might be a little peeved at her for not “following orders”, but she didn’t expect this much attitude from Tommy. She watched as he paused before opening his car door. His face was strained and agitated for a split second before returning to a neutral expression. The transformation was remarkable; it was as if he was wrestling with a demon. 

Tommy got into the car. He grabbed both sides of her face and pulled it close to his. Seeing her in this incongruous setting, played havoc with his feelings. He was angry that she defied his instructions, but he wanted her. He couldn’t be near her without wanting her. His frustration boiled over. His fingers dug into her jaws and his steely eyes were shifted back and forth between her own for what felt like an eternity. Then they shifted down to her lips, and he was lost. He pressed his mouth to hers with a hunger and force that eclipsed the busy street around them. He held her face as his lips and tongue aggressively claimed hers. When he finally broke away from Evie, she breathlessly grasped his lapels and brought her forehead to rest on his chest. 

“Tommy, what was that?”

“I told you to stay at Arthur’s.” He looked straight ahead, eyes fixed on the back of the Blinder who was driving the car.

“I know you did, but I had to come to see you. I have good news.” Her voice was steady, but her insides were like jelly. She peeked up at him, and his expression was still as immovable as it was before their kiss. This was a side of Tommy she hadn’t seen. He was somehow different. Forceful, yet detached. Her cheeks were throbbing where he had gripped them so tightly, and her lips felt numb. It was as though he was physically punishing her for being defiant.

“We will discuss it when we get to the room,” he told her flatly.

When they reached the Hotel, another Blinder met them at the elevator. He was holding the car for Tommy and Evie, and when they entered he began to brief Tommy. “The room is secure. You have had several calls confirming your meetings for the remainder of the week, and I have ordered supper for you and Miss Cole. It will be brought up to the room within the hour.” 

They continued the ride in silence until the elevator came to the fourth floor and stopped with a lurch. As they walked toward the suite, Tommy kept his hand on Evie’s back and stared straight ahead. “Thank you. Keep to your post outside the door,” he directed the Blinder, and the couple entered Tommy’s room. 

The door slammed closed behind them. It seemed a cold hollow sound to Evie. Tommy circled the room, shedding his hat, coat, and tie— a tie that she bought him. She could hear the sound of her heart beating in her ears as she watched him pace the floor. She knew that Tommy had this side, she knew what he was, but seeing him disappear into his Peaky Blinder persona was disorienting. He stopped to look at her, to run his hands over his face and through his hair, almost speaking, then stopping short.

The tension in the room was becoming unbearable to her, and she went to him. She grabbed his wrists and held him steady. “Tommy! I know I’ve disappointed you by coming here, but my God, it’s not like I’ve killed somebody. Can’t you just calm down?” He gazed into space, looking above her head but not directly at her. She continued, undeterred, “I have good news— the baby, it’s not yours. Lizzie told me today.” She shook his arms, physically pleading with him to look at her, “Tommy, it’s not yours,” she drawled. She thought desperately, _Look at me!_

__

“That’s what happened at the office?” Tommy blankly asked, “That’s why Lizzie left?”

__

“Yes, Honey. I made her tell me the truth. I thought you’d be happy.” Concern washed over Evie’s face. Was she wrong to believe that Tommy would be overjoyed to learn that the baby was Frank’s?

__

Tommy stood before her, the warmth of her touch penetrating his facade, “Of course I’m happy. But, you’ve risked your life to come to me, to tell me something that we’ve believed all along.” Tommy swallowed and pulled free of her grasp. He struggled in vain to keep her out of his head, to stay in the hardened frame of mind necessary for the dirty work he had to do in London, but it was no use. He looked down into Evie’s warm brown eyes, and his will buckled. 

__

Before he could stop himself, he put his arms around her. Her soft body melted into his embrace, and for a moment he forgot all about Russians, mines, votes, and deals. He dropped his head down and inhaled the intoxicating scent of her hair. She sighed as his hands caressed her back, pulling her closer and reassuring her that she was all he wanted. As he began to unwind, a voice inside his head warned him to stay sharp, and he pulled himself back. Evie felt him close down, and her heart broke with the weight of his responsibilities. 

__

“Evie, love, I have to do some things this week. Bad things. I have made deals that could put us in danger. I am having a man killed tonight. I need you away from me, away from all of this until I can sort it out.” 

__

“Are you killing…” she stopped herself before she spoke Foyle’s name, but Tommy understood.

__

“No, an associate of Capone’s is handling it. But that’s only part of it. These meetings with the other MPs will be brutal. I don’t want you around for the aftermath.”

__

Evie absorbed what Tommy said and steeled herself to ask, “What concessions have you made to keep me out of jail? What is Churchill forcing you to do?” She dreaded the answer, but if she was to understand Tommy, she needed to know what exactly he faced.

__

***

__

Foyle dragged himself to a standing position. He had sustained a stab wound in the shoulder and thigh before his would-be assassin went down. She lunged at him twice after the first shot and did enough damage to incapacitate him, at least temporarily. His talent for sucking up to (and keeping indecent secrets on) friends in high places had paid off handsomely. He was tipped off about the dangerous company that was being sent his way, and he was able to kill her before she could finish her job. The room blurred in and out of focus, and his leg bled and cramped uncontrollably as he made his way to the bathroom. 

__

Once there, he made a pressure dressing for his leg, and painstakingly bandaged his shoulder. Sweating and dizzy, he tried to cobble together a plan. He knew that Capone’s London connections would soon come looking for their assassin when she didn’t report back. Tommy Shelby would soon know that Capone’s killer had not been successful. Shelby would not be deterred, and would no doubt send another hitman if Capone’s people didn’t do it first. He would be hunted down, and there would be no escape. His frenzied mind raced as he examined his options. His source mentioned the name of the hotel in which Shelby had reserved a suite and that Evie had accompanied him to his rooms tonight. Venom rose within him, numbing the pain from his wounds, and his twisted mind thought, _If I can get near Shelby, I can put a bullet between those blue eyes. I might be a dead man, but I can take out Tommy Shelby and that hillbilly bitch before it’s all over._

__


	17. Revolver

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> That's when I reach for my revolver. Tommy and Evie are set upon by a fiend of the worst kind. Evie still doesn't get to eat. Someone get this diva a Snickers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, my God! We are getting so close to the end, but my wordy ass just can't let a good thing go! Maybe one more chapter after this.

Evangeline swam through a hazy state of consciousness. Tommy had slipped out of bed and she could see his naked silhouette faintly outlined by the glow of city lights. He had opened the heavy drapes a bit and stood, smoking a cigarette and looking down at the street below. For a few moments, Evie was drained of all worry and fear. For a few brief moments, she was bathed in a soft, warm bliss better than anything she had ever felt. She rolled onto her side and propped herself up on her elbow. As her eyes swept along the muscles of Tommy’s shoulders and down his back, she stretched and sighed. How lucky she felt, that she was the only woman in the world who could bring him to his knees with want. She was the only one who could see his soul when he reached the point of breathless ecstasy. Only minutes ago his voice broke, crying out her name mingled with words that she could not understand, as she wrapped her legs around his back and dug her nails into his shoulders, grasping for leverage, grappling for control as he fell apart beneath her. 

Tommy had wanted to send her home with one of his men but had ultimately allowed her to stay the night, reasoning that he needed to keep his soldiers at the hotel. Word about his scheduled talks with the voting bloc had most definitely traveled, and there was a need for more security than usual. He had receded into a calculated, unemotional part of his psyche in preparation for the week, but Evie’s arrival had blown that all to hell. She didn’t understand his need for isolation from all that he loved, and attempting to keep an emotional or physical distance from her was no use. Lord knows he tried, but her soft brown eyes melted the ice in his veins, and when her wet red lips parted to whisper his name he was gone. The room service tray had gone cold and untouched while Evie undid all the work that Tommy had done to prepare for Churchill’s plan. Tommy took a long satisfied drag from his cigarette and rolled his eyes at the irony. He had to stay focused to save her, yet she was doing her damnedest to sabotage his efforts. 

To make matters worse, he had not had a report from Capone’s assassin. It was highly irregular for word of a mission’s success to be so long in coming. He worried that something had gone wrong with Foyle’s killing, adding another dimension to his state of alert. Behind him, the sheets rustled, and he turned his head to see Evie’s eyes glowing in the dim light. Her supple curves were half draped by a single cotton sheet, and he thought he could detect the hint of a smile on her lips. She really underestimated what kind of deep shit they were in. She thought that he was invincible, and he loved her even more for it. “Come back to bed, sugar,” she drawled. 

Tommy turned his body to face her and she felt her belly flutter and her walls contract at the sight of her man. He crawled across the bed to her and kissed her deeply, cupping her chin in his hand. He pulled away with his mouth drawn into a half smile. “You certainly must think I’m sweet, with your ‘Sugars’ and ‘Honeys’,” he teased.

“But you are sweet to me,” Evie breathed, nibbling on his chin and pulling him down to lie on top of her. She craved the weight of his body on hers, and wrapped him in her arms and legs, willing him to press deeper, harder into her. 

“Evie,” he breathed, “In the morning, I have to send you back to Arthur’s.” 

She stilled beneath him. “I know.” Her voice was quiet and resigned. “But let’s pretend that everything is alright, hmmm? For the rest of the night?”

She knew how to pretend that everything was alright. Sometimes people took her unbothered exterior for ignorance, but the reality was that she had practiced the art of repression until it shone like a diamond in her clear brown eyes. Artifice, in the malicious sense of the word, was nowhere to be found in her, but she was raised in the southern way of pushing all the bad things down into a place where no one could see. Her mama would tell her, “Just look ‘em in the eyes and smile, Evie. Don’t let ‘em think they’ve broken you.” It worked to a certain extent, but at times all of the things that she fought to control came bursting out in a fit of rage. That was the danger in pushing a girl like her, and Tommy had learned the hard way.

She felt so warm, so soft that he hesitated to bring reality into bed with them, but he needed to be sure that she would cooperate with him when the time came. “Evie, you do realize what we are dealing with, yeah? Much of the success of my deal with Churchill will depend on you doing what I say. No more running away to see me.” She smiled and his voice became more forceful, “No more, Evie. This is not a game. I’ve not heard from Foyle’s assassin,” He took a deep breath and his body tensed, “I may have to take care of him myself. This will not be easy for either one of us.” He watched her eyes and stroked her cheek as he spoke. 

Her smile was gone and there was a steely resignation in her voice. “I know exactly what is going on, Tommy. I know that people will die, and I know that you need to do that thing where you disappear inside your head. Just promise me that you will come back. Don’t get lost in that place that you go to.” She placed a hand on either side of his head and squeezed, and Tommy’s eyes darted back and forth between hers.

“I’ll come back to you. Always, love.”

***

As the sun peeked over the rooftops and church steeples of London, Tommy crept out of bed to wash and dress. He had slept little, as was his custom, and had spent most of the twilight hours watching Evie. He found comfort in the gentle rise and fall of her chest and the nearly imperceptible flutter of her lashes. He imagined she was dreaming of home. More often than not she awoke full of tales of warm summer nights spent under the stars, shimmering creeks, and the lush undergrowth of ferns and ivy which carpeted the hollows where she lived. Tommy hadn’t considered leaving the shores of England again until Evie began painting pictures of her home in his mind. And if it made her happy, he’d go as soon as this whole ugly business was over. 

His morning routine varied little regardless of where he woke. He lit a cigarette and pulled smoke deeply into his lungs. The first rush of nicotine was always the best of the day. He directed the blinder just outside the door to call down for a pot of tea and a full English breakfast. He may just have a nibble of toast, but Evangeline would be famished, given that she hadn’t touched her supper. Before he turned back into the room, he asked, “Any word from Capone’s men?” 

“No, Mr. Shelby. I will let you know as soon as I hear anything.” 

He pulled on a fresh pair of trousers and picked up his gun holster, carrying it with him into the bathroom. Once there, he took out his revolver and spun the cylinder, making sure that all was in order. It was an old habit from his time as a soldier. He knew that it was loaded. He knew that it was in good working order. But old habits die hard, and checking your weapon was part of a good soldier’s checklist.

Tommy took a look over his shoulder at Evangeline. She had stirred in her sleep and one leg had worked its way outside of the covers, her blood red toenails in stark contrast against the white duvet. Tommy bit his bottom lip against a smile and felt a mixture of wonderment and pride that she, this perfectly imperfect creature, thought that he was the only man in the world for her. She saw him as a holy knight in shining armor, not a Peaky Devil forged in the fires of Small Heath. 

Tommy’s face soon fell back into a neutral expression as his thoughts returned to the matters of the day. There was still no word from Capone or his hired killer, so Tommy had decided that he would dispatch Foyle as soon as Evie was safely ensconced at Arthur’s farm. He ran a basin of hot water as he lathered his face to shave. The best plan of action would be to strike when he was in transit. He would have, no doubt, tightened security at his residence- or changed lodgings altogether. Tommy thought that he might need to enlist the help of Churchill to get the job done, and he didn’t have complete confidence that the man would be willing. Above all, Tommy wished that he had some idea of what had happened last night to cause this delay in information. There was still an outside chance that the assassin had succeeded and simply failed to report back.

As he rinsed his face, a pair of icy hands gripped his shoulders and he jumped. “Christ! Evie!”

She wound her arms around his body and giggled into his back. “Shoo, fly! Get on outta here and let me have the loo for a minute.” She handed him a fluffy white towel and steered him toward the door. Before he made his exit he pulled her into a sloppy laughing kiss. The taste of his shaving soap was bitter on her tongue and she grimaced, “Ewww, Tommy!”

“Serves you right, you wicked girl,” he growled, swatting her ass. As he strolled into the next room, he called out, “I’ve got breakfast being delivered, love.” 

“You’re an angel, Tommy Shelby,” she answered back, and closed the door.

Evie turned to take care of business, humming and twisting her hair into a braid. She pulled her chemise up and sat on the cold porcelain, wincing at the chill. Her eyes settled on Tommy’s holster, hanging on the towel rack, and it struck her that most people would find it odd to be always surrounded by the trappings of a gangster: revolvers, razors, fists with bloody knuckles. She heard the door, and her stomach growled in anticipation of her first hot meal in 24 hours. But an eerie stillness descended over the room, like the feeling before a summer storm when the wind ceases and the birds go all quiet. Then it happened. 

A shot cracked the silence. Evie squeezed her eyes shut and her soul left her body. She saw a flash of Claudy lying shattered in a pool of his own blood. 

A second shot rang out and she was snapped back into her body. She stood up and jerked her chemise down. Her breath came to her in short gasps and her blood rushed in her ears. She stifled a scream in the back of her throat. She didn’t know who was firing the shots, but she knew that Tommy wouldn’t dare give away her presence if he were the one being attacked. The sound of a struggle and breaking glass sent her to the door and then back to the far wall of the bathroom. She was in a state of panic and didn’t know what to do. There was a grunt and a guttural shout… _Oh my God. That was Tommy's voice._

__

Another shot rang out and this time the bullet whizzed through the bathroom door, grazing Evie’s right calf. This time she screamed. From the other room, she heard a sickening thud, and her heart stopped. Her shaking hands fumbled for the revolver and she thought of Tommy’s blue eyes. She’d do anything for him, right or wrong. She thought of the night that her Daddy lay bleeding in the barn while her brother did murder for him. _It’s okay, Evie. Some people need killin’._

Evie heard a twisted laugh, “I wonder what’s behind this door. Could it be your girl, Shelby?”

Tommy coughed and strained to rise from the floor, but could not. Every labored breath he drew rattled in his chest and went nowhere. He began to lose consciousness. Her name was on his lips, but he couldn’t say it. A tear slipped from his eye as he willed her to find the gun. _Please God, let her find the gun._

 

 

 

Everything was moving in slow motion as Foyle kicked the door to the bathroom open. She could see Tommy’s mouth open like he was screaming her name but no sound reached her. Blood and viscera were splattered from his shoulder and chest, pooling and spreading where he came to rest on the floor. Her ears were ringing and she numbly gripped the weapon. Foyle had done this. He had shot Tommy, and he was coming for her. She raised her arm and squeezed the trigger. His eyes grew wide with panic as his body jerked: once, then twice, then three times, as if some unseen hand was shaking him like a ragdoll. He fell to his knees, and Evie walked over to him. She aimed down at Foyle and shot once more. The impact blew a small hole in the middle of his face, but the exit nearly took the top of his head off. His brains splattered onto a painting of a bucolic picnic scene that was hanging on the wall behind him, and he topped over on the floor at Evie’s feet.  
Evie shook with terror as she stepped over Foyle’s lifeless body to reach Tommy. She threw the gun down on the bed and frantically searched for where the blood was coming from. So much blood. Tommy lay on the rug, gasping for air. His lung had been pierced by one of the bullets. She realized that he might die and began tearing his shirt from him. “Tommy, honey, it’s going to be ok,” she soothingly whispered through her tears. She wrapped his shirt around his shoulder to stop the bleeding there and wracked her brains for what to do about his breathing. She ran to the open door and screamed for help. That was when she saw the guard lying face down and bled out. She then began to wonder if anyone could hear them. Surely somebody would report gunshots and screaming.  
Her mind worked furiously on how to patch Tommy’s chest wound. She found her knife and cut off a piece of a mac which hung in the closet and ran back to the bed. She was able to hold the rubber to his wound to stop him from losing air, and he began to breathe more easily. She caressed his hair and felt for his pulse in his neck. It was weak. Try as she might hide it, the panic clearly showed on her face. Tommy floated in and out of consciousness. He opened his eyes and searched for Evie, then relaxed when he found her hovering above him.  
But he was pale. Too pale. His eyes fluttered open again, and he smiled at her. He tried to speak, but Evie told him to stay quiet and save his strength. Tears seeped from the corners of his eyes and he began to cough and sputter. Blood showed on his lips and Evie pressed her forehead to his. Tommy whispered, “I love you, Evie.”  
“I love you too, Tommy.”  
He struggled to form words, every breath a labored effort, “If I die, know that I’m satisfied,” he gasped and coughed, “because you are mine.”  
“No, Tommy! You’re not going to die! I won’t let you die,” she sobbed, bathing him in her tears.

She could hear the pounding of boots and shouting from the hallway, and she sat up to scream, “In here!” A barrage of police officers and the hotel doctor came into the room and descended upon Tommy and her.


	18. The End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Is this the end? Beautiful friend? The End?

Evie sat in the cold, empty waiting room. She had called Arthur two hours before in a blind panic telling him that Tommy had been shot and that he might not survive. He and Johnny Dogs were on their way, and she prayed that they would not be too late.  
She had gone with the stretcher that held Tommy’s limp body. She stroked his hand and talked to him the whole way to the hospital. “You have to live, Tommy. Stay with me. Stay with me.” She stroked his pale brow and kissed his forehead as her tears fell on him. “You have to give me beautiful Shelby babies and come to America to meet my folks. You have to stay in office and make Small Heath proud…” His chest was covered in blood and she could only faintly make out the rise and fall of his breath. “You can’t die, Tommy. I love you. I need you,” she repeated in his ear like a spell. As if saying it enough times would make it come true.

The police had come to her asking questions, but she dismissed them with a ferocity that would have made Polly proud. “Don’t you dare come to me with questions about that dog who tried to murder us. Tommy Shelby, OBE, MP, MY FIANCE is fighting for his life. I will speak to YOU PEOPLE when I know that he is in recovery.” They made their apologies and left.

She looked down at her hands. Tommy’s blood was dried on her skin and clothes, and it was dried in the settings of her ring. The sight of the reddish-brown stains made her chest burn and sting. A hoarse, cry came from deep within her, and she pulled at her hair, rocking and sobbing. She had brought this, all of this to Tommy’s door. When Al put her in Tommy’s home she was supposed to blend in, keep a low profile, and just be another maid on the household staff, but she didn’t. She could have avoided him and discouraged him, she could have left when he developed more than a passing interest in her, but she didn’t. The thought that her selfish need for him had jeopardized his life tortured her. Above all, she regretted coming to London. If she had done as she was told and stayed at Arthur’s, he wouldn’t have been distracted and maybe he would have gotten the jump on Foyle. The weight of guilt and self-reproach crushed her heart as she thought of all of the ways that she had failed him simply by being in his life. She held her head in her hands and wept.

Arthur and Johnny walked in and found her, wailing and tearful, in the dimly lit waiting room. Johnny removed his hat and looked down at his feet, expecting the worst. He knew things had to be bad for Tommy to be laid low. He had seen him carry on fighting with injuries that would have killed another man.

Arthur tentatively walked toward her. He flinched with every cry and sob that came from her. Arthur’s emotions always ran close to the surface. His eyes grew wild and his hands shook so much that he shoved them into his pockets. He always lacked the enigmatic quality that Tommy possessed, the one that allowed Tommy to appear unfazed in the eye of a storm, but what he lacked in cold calculation he made up for with passion. Arthur was always the brother who felt too much. As he crept, red faced, to Evie’s side and cradled her in his arms, he flashed back to another dim, antiseptic room. Another brother, and another wailing woman clouded his thoughts. He choked back tears and asked the question that he dreaded to give voice to. “Evie, what have the doctors said?”

He could barely read her bloodshot, swollen gaze as he searched her face for a reply. “He lost so much blood, Arthur. They don’t think…” she stopped to gather herself, “They don’t think he will last ‘till morning. They’re operating now, but it doesn’t look good.” Her body shook in his arms and she buried her face in his chest. “Poor Charlie. Poor, poor boy. He had me promise to take care of Charlie. I told him there was no need.” She weakly laughed, “I told him that he’d dance at Charlie’s wedding. But, what if…”

Arthur put his hand on the back of her head and pressed her to him tightly, “Don’t,” his voice broke, “Don’t think it. Don’t say it. Tommy is strong. He’ll pull through.”

And Arthur meant it. He had to believe it.

Evie’s mood changed suddenly. “I killed him,” she spoke in a preternaturally clear voice. “I shot the son of a bitch who wanted to take my Tommy away from me. I blew his head clean off.” Arthur held her out at arm’s length and looked in her eyes. They were shining with tears, but the darkest hate that he had ever seen cut through the weeping to show him that she was telling the truth. Evie had killed Martin Foyle, and she was glad to have done it. His heart broke for her. She had taken a man’s life and would never be the same. He wiped her tears and nodded his head in acceptance.

Arthur forced a tearful smile, “Good for you.” He knew that she needed the affirmation that came with knowing that she had dealt justice to the man who tried to kill Tommy, but he worried about her soul. Not in the religious sense, not in the way that a clean soul would gain her passage into the Promised Land and a dark and bloody one would doom her to hell. He worried about the part that would keep her up at night knowing that she had played God. An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. He worried that if Tommy didn’t make it, she would forever believe that his death was her punishment for taking Foyle’s life. Killing hardens a person, and he hated to see it happen to her.

As they waited for news, Arthur thought of all that he and Tommy had been through. When their mum died, they were old enough to truly register the loss, and it bonded them since that time it was them against the world. They fiercely protected John and Finn through all the lean years. They grew up skinny and hard, often doing without so that the younger boys could have a little more. Along with Polly, they scraped and clawed to eke out a life as small time bookies in Small Heath. They gained a reputation for being ruthless and mean, earning the phrase, “Don’t fuck with the Peaky Blinders.” They fought the Germans in France to survive and fought the coppers at home to build the Shelby Empire. But, empires crumble to dust every day. Nothing lasts forever, least of all a gangster at the top of his game. Now, Arthur thought, now they were to suffer at the hands of a vengeful God. He would make them pay for all the beatings, the blindings, the cuttings, and the murders that they had done to all those other poor bastards. Tommy would pay for the stains upon his soul.

Vengeance was not exclusively the prerogative of the Lord Almighty, so Arthur began to take stock of their surroundings. He thought that there may still be danger about, and they could all be sitting ducks at the hospital. He motioned to Johnny Dogs, “Call the boys. We need at least four men here. Put two on the doors at my house and two on each road in.” His last command caught in his throat, and he had to grit his teeth to say it: “Call Charlie at the yard. He should be the one to go wake Aunt Pol. She’ll want to be here if… when Tommy wakes up.”

 

***

_“Peace, peace! He is not dead, he doth not sleep-  
He hath awakened from the dream of life.”_

Evie stood before an ornate marble obelisk, a clutch of wild roses in her arms. A warm wind whipped around her shoulders, sending her hair swirling and tangling behind her. There was a stream nearby and she listened as Charlie giggled and frolicked in the tall grass beside the water. Both sadness and pride played around her lips as she knelt to place the bouquet on the pedestal which supported the monument. She traced the name etched into the marble, warm from the sun’s morning glow, with her finger: Claude Michael Coles.

Mama knelt down beside her and pulled her shawl up to keep the wind off of her ears. “It’s beautiful, Evie. Claudy wouldn’t know what to make of this, such a fine gravestone.”

“I know, Mama, but he deserves it,” Evie said, resting her head on Mama’s shoulder and closing her eyes. She could just imagine Claudy and her Daddy coming over the ridge, leading their old bay mare, fresh from the hunt. It was a familiar sight on winter mornings. She opened her eyes and used her hand to shade them against the brilliance of the winter sun as she looked toward the hillside. “When do you think they’ll be back?”

Her mama squinted into the sun to tell the time and answered, “Oh, directly, they lit out before dawn, and it’s just gone nine o’ clock.”

“I’d better get Charlie back to the house, then. He will want to see if the great hunters had any luck.” She called for Charlie and turned toward a rustling sound in the woods beyond.

Just then, Tommy and Evangeline’s daddy came loping out of the thicket, rifles hung casually over their shoulders. Charlie ran to Tommy, kicking leaves out in front of his little boots, “Daddy, Daddy! Did you get a big buck?”

Tommy swept Charlie up into his arms and laughed, pitching the boy into the air and catching him. He winced, a slight twinge of pain troubling his newly healed wounds, and replied, “I did not, but your Grampy did.”

Charlies eyes grew round and he turned to Evie’s dad, “Grampy, can I see him?”

Jeb Coles, clearly smitten by little Charlie beamed, “Yes, sir. Your uncles took ‘im down to the barn.”

Charlie squirmed down from Tommy’s arms and ran to Evie’s Daddy, who took his hand and led him back toward the barn while Mama followed behind them.

Tommy strolled over to Evie and stroked her cheeks with the backs of his icy hands. “You’re warm, love.”

“I’ve been in the sun,” she giggled, leaning into his body and catching his hands with her own. She leaned in with a kiss, wrinkling her nose at the coolness of his lips against hers. He wound his arms around her thickening waist and snuggled in close, playfully rubbing his frozen nose against her cheeks. She eventually surrendered to his method of warming-up and sighed, “So, you didn’t get a buck this morning, Mr. Shelby?”

“No, Mrs. Shelby, but I will have plenty of opportunities in the coming weeks if your father and brothers have any say in the matter.”

“Maybe you can fetch a rabbit skin to wrap your baby Shelby in,” she sang against his lips, which had returned to hers, nipping and kissing as she laughed. Tommy meant to hear that laughter for the rest of his days.

A mere month ago, as soon as Tommy was well, he and Evie were married. The ceremony was small, only family and the Lee’s were present, and was held in the garden at Arrow house. Evie wore a long cream silk gown and a silver fox fur cape. Tommy had bought her a diamond and emerald tiara as a wedding gift, and she looked like the queen of an ancient forest land. Unbeknownst to them, Evie was already carrying the Shelby baby that she wished for: which was the product of a late night hospital encounter. After Tommy got the green light to walk and bathe, he fell prey to the male need to make sure that everything “still worked”, and Evie could only hold him at bay for so long. Everything “still worked” five times that week and by a few days after the wedding Evie knew that she was expecting. The honeymoon was planned to take place in the hills of Tennessee, so she braved morning sickness and seasickness to make the journey. Tommy would finally meet Evie’s family.

Deep in a holler at the foot of the Appalachian Mountains, Evie rested her chin on Tommy’s shoulder as they held each other in the mid-morning sun. Her eyes swept over the landscape: the woods, the ridge, the creek, and Claudy’s monument. It felt good to be back home, but she also missed her home with Tommy. They were due to sail back to England in a month’s time, and surprisingly, Evie was ready. Her life with Tommy would never replace what she left behind, but she had grown and moved on- it was exactly what her Mama and Daddy wanted for her. Tommy wanted her to continue to study business law. Al had introduced him to the concept of the family lawyer, and he could think of no better person to take on the role than Evie. Most importantly, she was doing what she wanted. The prospect of raising a family with Tommy and working with the Shelbys made her glow from within. She was at peace. She and Tommy were at peace.

“Penny for your thoughts,” Tommy whispered in her ear. He nibbled her earlobe as he waited for her reply.

“I was just thinkin’ that if we hurry up we can get a little time alone at the house before the others come in for dinner.” As she spoke she leaned back, grinding into Tommy’s and licking her lips.

Tommy groaned and squeezed her ass, “John always said that they’re worse when they’re pregnant.”

“What?”

Tommy bit his lip and turned toward the house, “Let’s go, Evangeline. I plan to take my time with you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This has been so fun to write, and I hope that the end was as good for you as it was for me. I am notorious for revisiting works after they are meant to be done. I am 75% sure that there will be a sequel to Evangeline. Thank you for reading along. Thank you for every kudos, every comment, and every click.  
> xxoo  
> sympathyfortheblinderdevil


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